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tipsycad147 · 3 years

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Tools of a Witch

Written and Compiled by George Knowles

Athame / Pentacle / Wand / Chalice / Censer / Broom / Bolline / Cauldron / Bell / Book of Shadows

As with most other religions, tools are used in witchcraft to aid and enhance ritual worship. Tools have no power in themselves, though they do have powerful symbolic significances. Some like the Wand and Athame (pronounced ath-ay-me) are used to invoke and direct whatever power we generate or pass through them.

While tools are not absolutely necessary to the practice of the craft, some tools are nice to have if only to focus our will and concentration. The basic tools to start with are the elemental tools or those tools which represent the four elements of life: The Pentacle for Earth, The Wand for Air, The Athame for Fire, and The Chalice for Water.

Tools needn’t be purposely bought or excessively expensive. Take a look around the household, many ordinary implements can be used or improvised as tools. You could even make your own and by doing so, a certain amount of personal power will be infused into the item, thus increasing its effectiveness. Other sources of tools are Car Boot Sales, Junk Shops and Antique Shops. With a little patience you may find tools cropping up in the most unusual places.

All tools as they are collected, should be cleansed of all negative energies and past use influences. Lets face it, you won’t know how or for what use they may have been used before you acquired them. To do this, clean the item physically and thoroughly while using visualisation. Then bury the item in the ground for a few days, thus allowing past associations to be dispersed and purified with earth’s energy.

Alternatively you could use the water method. Immerse the item in water, preferably natural water like the Sea, a River, or a Lake. If these are not available to you, used a bowl of water and add a few pinches of Sea Salt. Leave submerged for a couple of hours before removing and drying the item off. Obviously common sense must prevail when using these methods, as you wouldn’t want to ruin the item. Do whatever seems appropriate for each item. After the cleansing process, each tool needs to be consecrated, ready to use for magickal purposes. (More about this later).

Below is a list of the standard tools used in witchcraft together with their uses and significances. For other correspondences see:

Athame - The athame is the traditional ritual dagger of the witch. Commonly it has a black handle and steel double-edged blade. Many Wiccans engrave the handle or blade with magickal symbols indicative of deities, spirits or the elements as sources of power. The athame is a tool of command, it is used to direct what power we pass through it. It is used to cast circles by tracing the circumference, to charge and consecrate objects and banish negative energies. In most traditions, it is never used as a mundane knife for cutting purposes, and is used strictly for magickal purposes only. As an elemental tools of the craft, in most traditions it is associated with the elements of Fire, in others it is associated with Air. The phallic symbolism of the knife links it with the God.

Pentacle - The pentacle is a traditional tool of the craft. Originally it is thought to have been adopted from ceremonial magic. It is usually a round solid disc often made from stone, wood or cooper. On the disc is engraved or painted an up-right five pointed star enclosed inside a circle called the Pentagram. A disc decorated in this manner then becomes called a Pentacle. In some traditions other symbols are added indicative of deities, spirits or the elements as sources of power. The pentacle is normally the centerpiece of the alter on which objects are placed to be consecrated or charged, such things as amulets, charms and tools are placed on it, as is the salt and water for blessing. The pentacle represents the elements of Earth and is sometimes used to summon the Gods and Goddesses. For a more detailed description of the pentacle - pentagram see (Pentagram - Pentacle).

Wand - The wand is one of the prime magical tools of the witch. Traditionally the wand is made from the wood of a sacred tree. These include the Willow, Elder, Oak, Apple, Peach, Hazel and Cherry, to mention just a few. Its length should approximate the crook of the elbow to the middle of the index finger. These days many modern materials are used instead, and even tipped with crystals and gems. The wand is a tool of invocation, it is used to evoke the Gods, Goddesses and Spirits. It is also used to bestow blessings, charge objects and draw down the moon during ritual. In most traditions the wand represents the elements of Air, in others it represents the elements of Fire.

Censer or Thurible - The censer is an incense burner used to contain burning incense during ritual. Any type of censer can be used, even a simple bowl filled with sand will do. The censer represents the elements of Air and is normally placed before the images of the Goddess and God on the altar.

Chalice - The Chalice is one of the four elemental tools of witchcraft and represents the elements of Water. It is a symbol of containment and often represents the womb of the Goddess. The base is symbolic of the material world, the stem symbolises the connection between man and spirit and the rim or opening symbolically receives spiritual energy.

The chalice can be made of any material, in times of old - Horns, Shells and Gourds were used to hold sacred liquids during ritual, and then in later times - Silver became the preferred material, having long been associated with the moon and the Goddess. The chalice is used to hold the blessed water and wine during ritual. It is traditional in many covens to pass the chalice around all members, who then take a drink as a token of unity.

Broom - The broom is a ritual tool of the witch, sacred to both Goddess and the God. The God - through its symbolic phallic shape, The Goddess - through its three-piece make up, the stick, brush and binding cord being symbolic of the triformis aspect of the Goddess.

Traditionally the broom was made from three different woods. Ash for the handle, Birch twigs for the brush and Willow for the binding cord. Ash is protective and has command over the four elements. Birch is purifying and draws spirits to one’s service. Willow is sacred to the Goddess.

The broom is used for a variety of purposes but most generally to purify and protect. It is used to ritually cleanse an area before magick is performed by symbolically sweeping away negative energies and astral build up. Of old it was used to guard the home and persons within against psychic attack or evil curses, this by placing it across the threshold, windowsills or doorways. It was also placed under the bed or a pillow to protect the sleeper.

Traditionally and perhaps the use which most people identify it with, are the old wedding ceremonies of the Gypsies and the early American slaves, where a couple leapt over the broom to ensure fertility, domestic harmony and longevity. Today pagan hand-fasting rituals often include a broom jump.

Bolline - The Bolline or White-Handled knife as it is now known, is the practical knife of the craft. Traditionally it was used to harvest herbs and had a blade in the form of a small sickle. Today it is normally a mundane knife used for cutting and carving. It has a white handle to differentiate it from the Athame, which has a black handle and is used only for magickal purposes. The bolline is used to cut wands and herbs, to mark and carve candles with symbols and to cut cords for use in magick. Any other ritual function requiring the use of a knife, such as cutting flowers for the altar, can be performed with the bolline.

Cauldron - The cauldron is probably the tool most associated with witchcraft and is steeped in magickal tradition and mystery. The cauldron is the container in which transmutation, germination, and transformations may occur. It is symbolic of the womb of the Goddess, and is the manifested essence of femininity and fertility. Everything is born from the cauldron of the Goddess and afterwards everything returns back to it. It is also symbolic of the element of water, as well as reincarnation, immortality and inspiration.

In ritual the cauldron is used as a container for making brews and potions, or to contain a small fire for use with spells. It can also be used for scrying (divination) by filling it with water and gazing into its depths.

In ancient times the cauldron was used as a cooking vessel and for brew making. Traditionally it was made from cast iron, it rests on three legs and has an opening smaller then its widest part. Cauldrons are made in many sizes but can be difficult to find, so you will need to persevere if you want one.

Bell - The bell is a ritual tool of invocation and banishment. The bell is a feminine symbol of the creative force, that of the Goddess. The bell can be rung to indicate the start of a rite by banishing negative influences before the ritual begins. Often it is used to invoke the Goddess during ritual, or sounded at the four quarters to call forth such spirits as the Watchers and Elementals.

Bells can be used to guard the home by warding off evil spells and spirits, or evoking good energies when placed in cupboards or hung on doors. Hung from a cord the bell symbolises the human soul suspended between heaven and earth.

Book of Shadows - The Book of Shadows is the workbook of the witch. In it is recorded: Rituals guidelines, Invocations, Spells, Runes, Rules of a particular Coven or Tradition, Symbols, Poems, Chants, and anything else of use to the witch during ritual.

Traditionally the Book of Shadows was always hand written by the individual. A common custom for new initiates into a Coven, is to hand copy his teacher’s Book of Shadows exactly as it appeared, then later to add his own material as he progressed in the craft. Today with the advantages of technology they are often typed and photocopied, or even computerised onto Floppy Disc’s.

To make your own Book of Shadows, you can use any form of blank book, but perhaps the best type to use are those of a loose-leave nature, thus allowing pages to be shuffled around when preparing for rituals. My personal Book of Shadows is made from recycled paper, bound up in natural tree bark covers, these are available in some art shops and bookstores.

Sources

Wicca, A guide for the Solitary Practitioner - By Scott Cunningham

Encyclopedia of Wicca & Witchcraft - By Raven Grimassi

A Witches' Bible - By Janet and Stewart Farrar

Witchcraft for tomorrow - By Doreen Valiente

https://www.controverscial.com/Tools%20of%20a%20Witch.htm

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beltbone11 · 3 years

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nelvana · 4 years

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In which preparations are made

First [ARC 1]: In which the human is transformed First [ARC 2]: In which a present is prepared Next: In which another expedition begins Previous: In which a warning is received

“The Lake Guardians?” Keahi repeated, “after you? Again?”

Alex let out a sharp hiss, rubbing his forehead with one hand, “dammit…” he groaned, “okay… The Lake Guardians… also worked for Primal Dialga, so they didn’t like us much. That doesn’t explain why they would be upset at us now!”

“They’re working for Palkia now,” Nelvana told them quietly, wrapping her arms around herself and shaking her head. “I saw… No, okay, we really need to talk to the others. It isn’t even just us two. It’s… Arceus, it’s nearly everyone they’re after.”

“Do you think Tsuki has started talking to everyone by now?” Keahi asked, glancing back and forth between zir two friends.

“Hopefully,” Alex muttered.

“If not, no one should be that far out of town,” Nelvana pointed out, “bring everyone to the base. This is going to be incredibly important to have everyone there. Even those who have been staying at the base but aren’t on the team.”

“Should we split up to find them?” Keahi suggested, “let’s all find Tsuki first, actually, and see where to go from from there, alright?”

Nelvana nodded hastily, “yeah, that sounds like a good plan. Okay, let’s go then.”

Despite the numbers between them only seeming to grow each time they had to gather everyone for one reason or another, it wasn’t terribly challenging to find everyone for this meeting. Tsuki was met outside the café, having rounded back to meet with the other three, so she helped guide them to where everyone else had wandered off to for the morning.

Ceebee, Gardevoir, Edgar, and Damien had all grouped together in the dojo to train together; Ceebee having mentioned something about bypassing psychic weaknesses with types earlier that morning, and while Tsuki had already left by then, she also mentioned wanting to bring the absol for the next time. They, to some surprise, found Dusknoir with Kangaskhan. While he didn’t admit it, it was clear that he was trying to spend more time with the various townsfolk so that he could grow more comfortable with them and adjust to the cultures of this time.

Sensing the urgency from the group of four alerting them, everyone was willing to drop their various tasks to meet back up at the team base to discuss whatever new news had been brought to the table.

The rebuild of this house had been designed for larger groups, but at this point everyone had to silently admit that it was beginning to get crowded trying to fit everyone in the kitchen area of the building together. Nelvana sat on the stool at the head of the island table while the others gathered around it, Alex, Keahi, and Tsuki especially close to her sides as the others that had been around for the recent event. She took in a deep breath as several eyes turned to her, sensing that she would be the one to make this announcement, whatever it was.

“I had another dimension scream vision,” she began.

She paused for a moment, trying to collect her thoughts and her breath. She often wasn’t the one at the head of announcements.

Fortunately, at least, they had explained her ability at the last meeting like this. Dusknoir hadn’t been there, but he was already familiar with the dimensional scream from previous interactions, back in the dead timeline, so she would be able to just move on to what she saw.

“And I saw… Well, as Tsuki told you all before, Maurice the spinda, Spinda’s nephew and assumed as Baguette’s partner, arrived into town injured. He had a hat, and that’s what I touched to activate the ability,” Nelvana continued, backtracking momentarily to add more context, now seeing some nodding with confirmation.

She went on to describe what had happened to him. She had seen most of it in her vision, from the point of view of Maurice. It began with him encountering the Lake Guardians and Ditto, and she had been awoken just as Maurice was beginning to flee and the howls of Ditto turning into a houndoom began. It wasn’t too hard to predict what had happened after that; leaving only the question of how he got away.

“They specified a lot of us as these anomalies,” Nelvana stated, swallowing as she studied the expressions of the rest of the group. “’A time gear thief grovyle, a mislead servant dusknoir, a cursed spirit guide gardevoir, a corrupted celebi ahead of their time-“

Ceebee bristled, “corrupt? The hell is that supposed to mean?”

Nelvana shrugged with defeat. Ceebee exhaled, settling down some but crossing her arms with frustration. She nodded silently back to the cubone to finish.

“And two humans who have taken pokemon form,’” she said, finishing the quote.

“Two humans?” Damien blurted out, standing up. “How did I get involved in this world balance stuff? Heck, Gardevoir isn’t from the future either, how are-“

He cut himself off, his own words catching up to him as he glanced over towards Dusknoir, who regarded him with a slightly widened eye.

“You’re human then too, hm?” Dusknoir questioned.

“Er, yeah…” Damien muttered, rubbing his forehead before moving on. “But still, by the way that started, I would have assumed this was focused on all of you from the future, but it’s Gardevoir and me too… dammit.”

“Technically…” Gardevoir spoke up softly. “Technically, we are time travelers as well. Or you are, at least. You are from the past, Damien. And while I did not jump through time as a spirit guide, you did bring me out of my curse a couple hundred years early. That may have to do with it.”

“That must be it…” Alex murmured, shaking his head almost in a daze, before his expression hardened. “Well, this may be bold to announce right away without knowing much, but I’ll bet Palkia is wrong,” he spat, “if we weren’t meant to be here, we wouldn’t. Gardevoir being mentioned as well helps confirm any suspicions that maybe Dialga messed up, the judge is a third party. Nel, Damien, you both said that Ninetales’ reluctance about breaking the curse had more to do with Damien anyway; she would have stopped you if it would disrupt the world’s balance more.”

Nelvana nodded slowly, “Maurice said the same sort of thing. Aside from morality, that was what stopped him from going along with the Lake Guardians.”

“I would have sensed disaster related to you all as well if that were the case,” Tsuki agreed.

“So, that’s it then? We all agree that there must be something else wrong then,” Keahi spoke up, waiting to see nods before continuing. “Alright then! I had better not hear any of you doubting yourselves then, you hear that? If we’re going to fix this, then we can’t be doubting ourselves!”

Keahi’s enthusiasm and insistence on the matter rubbed off on everyone, and there were some cheers and laughter after that short speech. Any cheer quickly faded, however, as the matter of the situation settled back in.

“What next then? I don’t think that we can just stay here trying to search around like we have been,” Edgar said, “we’re gonna need an expedition or something. For information, and so the Lake Guardians don’t just corner us here. They know we’re here.” His voice was strangely firm, yet quiet.

“If I may.” Dusknoir approached from where he had been leaning against one of the counters at the back of the kitchen. “Dialga would know most about this. They are related to Palkia, and the world’s balance. We should seek them out.”

Ceebee sighed, “I hate to admit this, but I agree with you. Dialga would be our most solid source on the matter.”

Nelvana winced slightly and Alex grumbled something under his breath, but neither of them spoke against this idea. Keahi, however, chimed in again.

“I was thinking we could look over at the guild!” zie suggested, “they may not be as… familiar with the matter as Dialga would be, but they definitely would know a lot. We could also go there for more items, directions, maybe even allies…? They probably have figured something is off by now, so we could exchange ideas.”

“Those are both good ideas, but…” Gardevoir paused, glancing over at Damien. “You mentioned the judge, and it got me thinking. Since they were able to help bring me back, and Nel you once mentioned that they knew about you, then they must be some… some sort of higher being. Perhaps they would know more on the matter as well.”

There was a moment of silence, as the three ideas remained the only ones, but no one could think of anything to say that would truly push one ahead of the other. All three had their merits, and would push them closer to their goal.

“Where is the judge? And the guild?” Dusknoir asked, finally breaking the growing silence.

“The guild is… Here, we should get a map, I can point it out there,” Keahi responded, nodding towards the bag that Alex still had nearby himself.

“I’ll get the map we used for our journey too! Ninetales marked on mine,” Damien added, already hopping off his stool and heading over to the bag. “Oh, hey, that does remind me, I have some TMs in here that we could use to prepare ourselves as well for the journey.”

Alex laid out Team Galaxy’s main map first, some other scrap papers and notes falling out when he unfolded the large page. Many of the little notes were written by either himself or Nelvana, and would be unreadable to most pokemon, though there were some either from before that idea had come back to mind, or simply written by someone who wouldn’t have that option. He carefully swept those extra slips back away into the bag as Nelvana reached out to the table to flatten out the map with her hands.

“Right up north up there, that’s where the guild is,” Keahi told them, pointing to one of the pre-marked dots on the map.

“Murky Cave was over here,” Nelvana added, pointing out the location of the dungeon from memory.

Despite hearing Nelvana say this, Damien brought over his own map anyway and laid it out with the first. It was the same sort of map as Team Galaxy’s, but less marked on yet somehow dirtier and more worn. He pointed out the hole where Ninetales had marked Murky Cave, comparing it to where Nelvana was pointing on the other map.

“Ah…” Dusknoir rumbled, “this is just a map of this continent…”

“I’m afraid we haven’t had a need for a world map before,” Tsuki replied.

“Regardless, if I recall… We would have to head out south to get to the Grass Continent,” Dusknoir continued, reaching out as well to point out the general direction on the map; Nelvana swiftly removing her own hand as he did so.

“All these locations are really spaced out,” Edgar pointed out.

“We can’t go to all of them…” Alex mumbled, biting his lip as he stared down at the maps.

“Or could we?” Ceebee chimed in again, fluttering closer to the rest of the group huddled around the table. “It may sound crazy, but hear me out. Keahi, are there any docks up north by the guild? Preferably towards the east?”

“Oh, I think so!” Keahi answered, zir eyes flitting around as zie searched for the legend at the bottom of the map, and then for the icon that matched for boats. “Yeah, right over here!” zie exclaimed, moving zir other wing to point out a spot on the edge of the map.

“Splendid!” Ceebee chirped, “okay, here’s my idea. To get to Dialga, we’ll need to go through Brine Cave, which is on the edge of the continent, towards the west. It will be a bit roundabout since we need to go south to get to the Grass Continent at all, but we could take a ferry down there after visiting the guild,” she explained, “or we could always teleport back to the base after visiting the guild and take a ferry a bit closer south, but on the chance that the Lake Guardians may be waiting there… I’m not quite sure about that. We’d have to see.”

“What about the judge?” Damien asked.

“Getting to that, don’t worry!” Ceebee hummed, “I’ll go to the judge! While the rest of you are on your way to the guild. I can fly really fast and skip over all the dungeons and water to get to the island in a day or so, and then go through the dungeon and speak to the judge myself. Then, I can either fly or teleport over to wherever you get to in the meantime, whichever ends up being more convenient for me. I’ll be able to sense you wherever, even if you get too far for telepathy, so you won’t have to worry about leaving me behind.”

“You’ll go through the dungeon alone?” Damien questioned, “it was pretty bad… and there were a lot of poison-types, you are grass, right?”

“I am! But I am also psychic, so that’s a type advantage!” Ceebee pointed out.

“You could use the mobile scarf. We won’t be needing it, even if we have to go through dungeons on the way. There are enough of us that it wouldn’t make that much of a difference,” Nelvana offered.

“Perfect! That would help a lot, Nel, thanks!” Ceebee replied, grinning widely by this point.

“I like that idea! I think we’d be able to get through everyone’s ideas, and it makes more sense to visit Dialga last out of all of them, since they would have the more final take on everything,” Keahi exclaimed, “do we all want to do that then?” zie checked, glancing around at the others.

Alex began nodding slowly, “I think we could make it work, yeah. Do you know how long it should take us to get to the guild, Keahi?”

“I’m not quite sure… a few days, at least. Especially with a group our size now. We won’t be able to move at the pace we did for the last expedition,” Keahi murmured.

“About that, then.” Dusknoir narrowed his eyes slightly. “Are we all going? Nine of us is quite the large group, you know.”

“Says the one who traveled with an army at all times,” Alex hissed under his breath.

“Well! We might have to fight Palkia, and the Lake Guardians if they catch up to us! Numbers in those sorts of fights wouldn’t be a bad thing,” Edgar pointed out loudly. “I mean… we’ve beat Rayquaza before, but Palkia sounds like a whole other matter…”

“They are,” Dusknoir agreed, “but if we do not want the Lake Guardians to follow us, we would leave less of a trail if we were a smaller group. Besides, some of us are better in battle than others. We would not want to risk any weaker links slowing us down.”

Keahi’s feathers puffed up with indignation at the statement, and Alex let out another hiss. While the latter had to silently admit to there being a point to not being tracked, he disliked that Dusknoir would say that in such a way.

“No one is a weak link!” Keahi snapped, leaning over the table to glare up at Dusknoir with fire in zir eyes. “If someone stays behind, it will be because they want to, not because someone thinks they aren’t battle ready. Even those who don’t fight have their own strengths.”

“I’ll stay behind,” Gardevoir spoke up, “someone should hold down the base anyway, and even though Dusknoir did put that rather rudely, I am not in the right state for long travels or battling.”

“H-Hey, I’m sure he wasn’t referring to you in particular. I’m not the best fighter either,” Damien assured her, ears flattened.

Gardevoir chuckled softly, “it’s alright. I don’t mind either way. I was going to offer in the end anyway; even if we never brought up the idea of someone staying behind,” she responded, “this sort of adventure… feels to be a bit too much for me right now. I still want to settle down some.”

“Are you sure?” Nelvana asked quietly, her expression softening from under the skulled mask.

“Yes, I am. Don’t worry, I’ll still be able to communicate through telepathy, at least until you all get too far,” Gardevoir responded, “I’ll keep an eye on the place, and warn you if the Lake Guardians show up.”

“They are after you too though,” Tsuki reminded her, unable to keep the sudden worry from her own voice.

“I’ll be surrounded by company. I have faith that I will be safe here,” Gardevoir hummed, “besides, I am just me, just one of us. If they catch wind that you have left, they would likely prefer to go after the larger group before you get away,” she added.

“If you’re sure then, you could stay back here. We aren’t going to drag you after us or anything,” Alex said, letting out a snicker at his own comment. “Besides, the B Squadron could always stay here too like they did on the last expedition. They would be able to help you out if needed.”

“Good point,” Keahi responded, nodding slightly as zie slunk back into zir own seat. “Is there anyone else who would rathe stay behind with Gardevoir then? Or is that that?”

“Er, well, this isn’t be volunteering, more the opposite. I just wanted to clarify before anyone asks, there hasn’t been anything for me to do to help out around town. I think that they wouldn’t mind me helping you all go save the world anyway,” Damien stated.

“I was wondering about that,” Tsuki replied, “thank you for explaining. We welcome your assistance in this mission.”

“Oh, thank you!” Damien hummed.

Past Damien’s explanation, no one responded to Keahi’s question. Even before silence overcame the room again it was clear that no one else would speak up to this. The adamant expressions on the faces of most confirmed that they were determined to go on this journey, for one reason or another.

“Very well then. We will be a party of eight then,” Keahi announced, “tomorrow morning, we will all set out for the guild, except for Ceebee, who will head in the direction of Murky Cave. We should all meet up again before the guild, then we will arrive at the guild, and then afterwards we will take some sort of ferry down to find Dialga. Gardevoir will stay behind to inform us on news for as long as she can, and take care of the house. Is that our plan?”

Nelvana nodded, judging the expressions of everyone else before answering, “I believe so. Today we prep then,” she hummed, “do… do you want to announce it to the town, or…?”

“We shouldn’t have to,” Alex muttered, “they’ll know we went on an expedition soon enough, especially with Gardevoir here if they really have questions. Honestly, telling them in one big meeting in town may do more harm than good. They may panic at the prospect of the end of the world again, and world will spread quickly. We will be able to buy ourselves some extra time if the Lake Guardians don’t realize that we’re on to them,” he explained.

Tsuki nodded, “that makes sense,” she agreed, “shall we head out to pack then?”

“Probably. We can make use of Damien’s TMs too while we’re at it,” Nelvana answered, nodding again.

“Alright, let’s go then!” Edgar exclaimed

With those words, Edgar spun around and hurried out of the stuffy room by floating directly through the wall to get outside. After a moment, the door opened from the outside and creaked open slightly. Keahi chuckled softly before heading over to the door next, with the rest of the group beginning to follow.

Stopping by Kangaskhan Storage was the obvious first choice for the team, and thus they began to work on checking through their items on hand, and what they would need for the journey ahead.

“Are you all off on another journey, dearies?” Kangaskhan questioned, looking over at they spread out their supplies on the ground to look over in front of them.

“Yeah! We’re going off to the guild,” Keahi told her, keeping in mind what Alex said about not wanting this to be big news, but also not wanting to lie.

“That’s nice! It’s a long way though, make sure to pack lots of food and water,” Kangaskhan replied, “it has also been getting chillier lately, so if you have room in your bags, please try packing some blankets or warm clothing, just in case!”

“We’ll keep that in mind, thanks mom,” Tsuki purred.

Dusknoir glanced over towards the absol and kangaskhan, “’mom’? You aren’t even in the same egg group.”

“Oh, shut it, as if you’d know what family is like,” Alex snapped, not even bothering to look up at this point.

Kangaskhan frowned, “Alex! That wasn’t very polite.”

Alex still didn’t look up, nor did he say anything in response at this point. Kangaskhan let out a sigh.

“Alright, so I’ve got protect, earthquake, frustration, and thunderbolt here,” Damien announced, for the first time laying out the TMs he had collected back in Murky Cave. “Oh, at the bottom of the bag there’s toxic too. I actually already used that on myself though… do you have recycle yet?”

“No, we don’t…” Keahi sighed, “that would be nice though, we have a few used TMs sitting around.”

“Shame you got frustration and not return; we could have all made use out of return!” Edgar commented, “still, the rest are all pretty good!”

“Earthquake risks hitting all of us, but you could still benefit by learning it, Nel,” Alex pointed out while he continued to handle most of the rest of the supplies with Tsuki. “It would be a good move if we get split up, or just need a good, strong, last minute move and can risk the team recoil.”

“Hm… yeah, I guess I’ll take that then if no one else wants it,” Nelvana murmured, already reaching for the mentioned TM to look it over.

“Protect could be used by any of us… so who gets that?” Edgar asked.

“We may have to come back to that one later. You’ll probably get it though, since most of the rest of us are more of strikers,” Keahi answered, “how about thunderbolt though? Who could learn that?”

“I could, but I would rather not,” Tsuki chimed in, “ice beam is the only special move I would want to make use of. If no one else can learn it though, I will take it for the type coverage.”

“I believe that Damien should be able to learn it,” Dusknoir pointed out, “you are a special attacker, as you’ve said, after all. You would benefit most by having it.”

“Oh yeah, of course! Damien, you should learn thunderbolt!” Keahi chirped, nudging the disc closer to the gengar with a foot.

He hesitantly took it, before nodding. He and Nelvana both took the TMs that had been selected for them, and after a few moments, the resounding sound of cracking confirmed the item being used and the pair’s new moves being gifted to them.

It was then that footsteps could be heard approaching, and with everyone turning their heads they could see four of the five members of the B Squadron making their way over to join the rest of Team Galaxy. Baguette was missing from the group.

“BZZ BZZ! THERE YOU ALL ARE. WE HAD BEEN WONDERING WHERE YOU HAD GONE. WE HAD THOUGHT THAT YOU WOULD BE BACK AT THE CAFÉ,” Rayden greeted, continuing to float over until he was just beside Edgar.

“Oh, we apologize for any confusion,” Tsuki replied, “we had a meeting, and are now preparing for a journey. We meant to tell you soon.”

“A journey? Where to?” Bobo asked from his perch up on Hiram’s shoulder.

“We’re going to the guild!” Keahi answered, then pausing. “And then… to Dialga. We’re going to get to the bottom of what’s going on with the world’s balance. We may not be back for awhile,” zie continued in a hushed voice.

“We’re trying to keep a low status on it though for now, don’t want to raise any unnecessary alarm,” Alex added.

Hiram huffed, but nodded, “that makes sense. This town can be prone to panicking, from what we’ve seen,” he agreed.

“Would you like us to stay at the base again?” Pearl asked, “it may be best for us for the moment anyway; Baguette is terribly worried about Maurice there.”

“So, they are partners then?” Edgar asked, “why did they split up before…? I think I forgot, if I heard about it at all. Did it happen before I joined the team?”

Pearl chuckled softly, “I’m not sure if you got the news. It isn’t exactly something we feel the need to bring up often. Maurice went on a mission of his own, searching for the source of a special feather he found. He must have finished that and been on his way here before…”

“Yeah…” Keahi sighed, and then shook zir head. “Well, you answer your question, yeah you can stay at the base! It would probably help a lot, actually. Gardevoir will be staying there, but you can always keep her company,” zie told them.

“YOU ARE?” Rayden turned to look over at Gardevoir, who nodded and waved back at him. “OH! BZT!”

Gardevoir nodded, “yes, I am. I wanted to stay back here; still not quite up for the big adventures yet,” she giggled, “you’re still welcome to stay at the base, of course. It’ll probably be a bit lonely otherwise.”

“Yeah! We’d love to hang out with you, Gardevoir!” Bobo chirped.

“The guild’s up north, right?” Hiram asked, focusing on the initial topic. “How many dungeons will you have to run into on the way?”

“I’ll need to double check with a map, but hopefully not many!” Keahi answered, standing up and shaking out zir feathers. “I know Howling Forest is one though, we might have to go through Pitfall Valley too depending on the quickest path to the guild.”

Hiram nodded slowly, and then turned towards Rayden, “hey, you should show them what we just got. It’ll probably help them out a lot.”

“HM? OH, RIGHT! I HAD ALMOST FORGOTTEN!” Rayden exclaimed, “I THINK I STILL HAVE IT ON ME…”

“It’s stuck to the back of your left magnet!” Bobo directed, pointing towards the mentioned limb with one foreclaw.

“BZZ! BZZ! THANK YOU, BOBO!”

Twisting the other magnet around back, Rayden detached the item from his left magnet so that he could hold it for the others to see. It was another TM disc, the number “67” visibly marked into the silvery record. It took a moment for the number to be pieced together mentally as to what actual move could be learned with that TM, but soon eyes began lighting up from the A Squadron.

“That’s recycle!” Keahi exclaimed, “where did you guys get it? That’s really useful!”

“Kecleon stopped us just now on our way in to give it to us,” Pearl explained, “he said that he knew Rayden could learn it, and said we could take it for free if we use it to repair some of their TMs for reselling.”

“I HAVE NOT GOTTEN TO LEARNING IT YET SINCE WE HAD BEEN IN A HURRY, BUT I COULD NOW IF YOU WOULD LIKE,” Rayden offered.

“That would be really good,” Damien replied, “we were actually just talking about that sort of thing, good timing.”

Nodding to them, Rayden moved to place the TM on the side of his head. Like with other TMs, after a few moments it audibly cracked. Unlike most other TMs, however, it broke completely into several pieces, dropping to the ground as Rayden let out a static shriek of alarm.

“BZT! WAS… WAS THAT SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN? BZZ BZZ,” Rayden questioned warily.

Kangaskhan glanced over to them, and offered the magnemite a comforting smile, “yes, it does do that. Do not worry, you did nothing wrong. Recycle is the only TM that can never been recycled. It’s strange how that works, but nothing has come up yet as a way to get around that.”

“OH. THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME KNOW. BZZT,” Rayden replied, magnets sagging to his sides with relief.

Tsuki, who had been just talking to Kangaskhan before, turned her attention more to the conversation being held. Piecing together what was being talked about, she collected the team’s used TMs that they already had and gave them to the group currently handling that. After receiving thanks, she went back to her own conversation with her mother.

“Alright, so now we have all of Damien’s TMs, and then flamethrower, brick break, and calm mind!” Keahi announced, looking over the growing pile.

“I WILL BEGIN TO PRACTICE MY NEW MOVE!” Rayden declared, floating over to the discs.

“Ooh, did someone say calm mind?” Ceebee fluttered over to join the rest of the group, Gardevoir following behind her. “We could both learn that!”

“I think Tsuki actually could too, would go well with her ice beam,” Damien commented, biting his lip.

“I can learn calm mind?” Tsuki repeated, her attention regained at being directly mentioned.

“Yeah, I think so,” Damien replied, “it would be worth seeing, since you have a special move.”

“Well, once Rayden figures out recycle, anyone can learn any move we have laying around here, so there’s no waste or anything,” Nelvana added, “just whoever wants to learn it first, might as well go ahead. It’s one of the only ones left unused right now.”

“I’ll go ahead and take it then,” Ceebee hummed, taking the TM in her hands and going to make use of it.

It took another few minutes after this for the first TM to get repaired, but once Rayden figured out how to use it the first time, it didn’t take long for him to get in the swing of using the move.

“Alright, once protect is ready or whatever, I think every one of us can learn it, so we should,” Alex instructed as he finished up rationing out the food for the expedition.

“Sounds good!” Keahi agreed.

“Actually, I’m not sure who exactly can learn flamethrower, but I think Nel should try learning it,” Damien suggested.

Nelvana frowned, “me? How come?”

“He’s got a point,” Alex responded, glancing up. “You won’t be able to use it much in general, but it’ll help cover your grass and ice weaknesses in a pinch.”

“Ah, that is true. I didn’t think of that…” Nelvana murmured, “and Alex, you should be able to learn brick break, you should learn that too...”

Ideas continued circling around the team, the discs themselves being passed around the group as well with the sounds of cracking and then repairing going ‘round as they made as much use out of the TMs as they could.

“Should we really be learning so many moves?” Tsuki questioned as the protect TM was passed over to her. “It is not simple to be efficient in several moves.”

“That is true, but we aren’t learning these to be perfect in all of them,” Alex responded, “we’re learning most of these just in case. I doubt we’ll all really need protect for example, and get good at using it, but just in case,” he explained.

Tsuki nodded at this answer, leaving the question at that and learning the move for herself before passing it back over to Rayden to repair.

While the B Squadron got their share of learning new moves, and A Squadron went over what Alex had planned for them to pack, adding and removing items as they saw fit. Ceebee gathered a small sac with some smaller items for herself, in advance for her separate journey from the others.

Eventually though, they had finished what they needed to do at Kangaskhan Storage, and began cleaning up. Returning all their items they didn’t actually need, and making sure there wasn’t any shards left on the ground from the recycle TM breaking.

“Alright, we can store all the TMs now too, right?” Nelvana asked Kangaskhan, passing over the last of the extra apples back over the counter.

Kangaskhan nodded, “of course dearies! And since these aren’t cracked anymore, you will even be able to access them through the statues.”

“That’s great!” Keahi chirped, hopping up to stand beside zir partner. “You never know when you need a spare TM!” zie hummed.

“Do we need frustration though?” Alex pointed out, “Damien, you did mention that was one you had, right? We could just sell that one for some extra coins.”

“Well, I would, but I can’t actually find it anymore…” Damien muttered, searching on his hands and knees through the grass.

“I thought you put it back in your bag,” Nelvana commented.

“I thought so too…” Damien sighed, sitting back up and brushing off his arms.

Dusknoir approached the gengar, and held out his hand. Damien eyed it warily, and then relaxed as he saw that the larger pokemon was just holding out the missing TM to him.

“Oh, thanks,” Damien told him, accepting back the item.

He frowned as he looked it over. The TM for frustration was cracked, used.

“If we’re done here, we should move on to prepare more elsewhere,” Dusknoir mumbled, already starting down the path.

The rest of the group merely watched him leave at first, before they all scrambled back to their feet, ready to move on to the rest of their preparation for the journey. There wasn’t much left to do for now, but it would be good to make a couple more stops before considering themselves ready for the next day.

“He used that TM, didn’t he? That’s why he had it,” Alex asked Damien in a mutter.

Damien nodded, “I don’t get why though. Even if he doesn’t like us much, isn’t his plan to stay with Dialga once we get there? He doesn’t hate them.”

“There’s more to the move than that,” Edgar pointed out quietly as he passed the other two by, and then continued on ahead of them without another word.

First [ARC 1]: In which the human is transformed First [ARC 2]: In which a present is prepared Next: In which another expedition begins Previous: In which a warning is received

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ionchef · 5 years

Text

King of Anything - An Escaflowne Fanfiction

A/N: Because I can never stop when I’m having fun, I decided to continue this fic. Right now, I’ve about 13 Chapters outlined but who knows what all I still come up with. If you prefer to read on FFN, you probably know how to find it there.

A huge 'Thank you' goes out to Meghanna Starsong, my sharpest and friendliest critic, who has once again been instrumental in assisting me with this outline (which is still under construction).

King of Anything

Act 1, Chapter 2

In which Van finally gets his coffee but Escaflowne disapproves.

Fanelia's raven-haired king took similar, if not more, care whilst slipping out of the palace this time. His disguise was, once again, pivotal to the success of this little excursion. Granted, it was only the second time he was perusing it but it seemed as though the scheme could be a way of offering him a much-needed breather from now on when necessary.

Someone cleared their throat and it sounded as if amplified through a can due to the nature of the source, then hollered against the marble floor and walls. The sound demanded immediate attention and emanated clear disapproval. Van froze in mid-step down the deserted hallway just outside the royal apartments. Ah but of course. He had nearly forgotten the grouchy sentry who now never was too far away.

Almost like a puppy, he usually followed Van around unless otherwise instructed. Turning, the king peered at the robot who had stepped away from his guard post. Van was already mildly annoyed because for the better part of the day he had been trailed by hordes of foreign and Fanelian members of the royal council. Sure, he usually had a daily agenda anyway but this week was especially busy for various reasons.

The sentry in question, Escaflowne, had been in every ruling king's possession since the early days of Fanelian history. Purchased from the mysterious and elusive Ispano folk, the machine was a masterfully crafted protector and weapon. Considered a patron deity way back when, now more like a champion of Fanelia, Escaflowne had been rebooted again. Much unlike other melefs here, Asturia, Freid, Zaibach, or other countries south of the Big Seas, Escaflowne was unique.

The machine was tied to the king of Fanelia through a blood pact. To operate, it required the heart of a dragon. A drag energist had to be obtained by the worthy heir and that meant hunting and slaying one of the beasts. Escaflowne could only be activated this way and his service always ended, well, when the king ended. While other melefs were nothing more than drones, programmed to defend or perform manual labor, Escaflowne had a life and intelligence of his own.

"Going somewhere?"

Much to the occasional dismay of his master.

Escaflowne's eyes glowed in what seemed like amusement through the slit of the robot's helmet. While he had resembled a knight in traditional Fanelian samurai armor in some shape or form for generations before, his appearance had been thoroughly updated by the Ispano prior to this activation.

It was part of the service agreement to keep him under a lifetime warranty and up to the newest standards of Ispano technology. Improvements had been made which increased Escaflowne's degrees of freedom, allowed for more variety in his end effectors, as well as extended reach, payload, and repeatability.

"In a poor disguise unlikely to fool anyone, no less."

Together with an update of his behavioral characteristics befitting a more modern Gaea.

"Your father would highly disapprove."

And his internal memory storage, which had been expanded through another chip to add on to the centuries of knowledge stored away inside of him.

The machine towered over any human by a good three feet. His chassis was covered entirely by Ispano white, metal armor in mostly rectangular panels. The updated look still incorporated two diamond-shaped receptacles for green energists on each shoulder and one octagonal receptacle for the main energist on the left side of his breastplate, where a human's heart would be. This energist was the special one, the one Van had collected from the corpse of the dragon.

Escaflowne stood a few feet away from him, scowling as Van resumed on his way. Despite the king's current mood, it was good to have Escaflowne back. The last time the sentry had been in operation was during his father's reign over the country but it felt different now with him being the one to command it.

He still wasn't completely used to this monarch gig, burdened with decisions which affected not just him but everybody else in the kingdom. Although there were enough resources for advice in the form of an eager council -too many resources at times, really- he always put a great deal of thought into the consequences for each decision. Sure, he had been educated and prepared well for years but now it was real. It had felt different when Balgus was the steward of Fanelia, bound to rule within the tight guidelines set by ancient laws until the rightful heir finally claimed his throne.

"No need to follow," Van answered courtly and as an afterthought he added "don't wait up," while tossing his suit jacket with the Fanelian crest on the breast pocket towards the robot. Escaflowne's arm moved in a circular motion type to reflexively catch the garment. While it wasn't uncommon for patriotic people to sport the diamond-shaped insignia with the dragon wings on clothing items, it would probably be better to not wear it right now.

The king's daily attire had finally been given a major overhaul. Pomp and gaudiness had been toned down which allowed for more relaxed-fitting suits. Especially when it came to the damn tight collars and the amount of embroidery, as well as more dark colors instead of screaming, royal red. While Van casually made his way further down the hallway, Escaflowne's steps and robotic voice echoed behind him. "I'm compelled to inform you how absolutely terrible of an idea…"

Closing the heavy fire door to the emergency exit behind himself, the machine's last few words were muffled considerably. While Escaflowne's primary objective was to protect the royal family and Fanelian citizens from harm, the robot's programming was still slaved to Van's commands. He sighed in relief and descended the old, slightly uneven stone steps of the narrow staircase. The main structure of the palace was still original but plenty of renovations over the last decades had altered the overall appearance just like the rest of the city.

Old-town Fanelia close by the palace and the palace itself were reminiscent of the ancient, historical architecture the most. The core structures of most buildings were made from solid stone cut from massive boulders by stonemasons in centuries long past. In centuries long past when men rode into battle on the backs of Yerkle and no walls protected the citizens from the fury of dragons native to this part of Gaea.

Now, many, many lifetimes later, the original houses and storefronts had been modernized with materials such as glass and steel whenever alterations or renovations were performed. As the largest structure, the royal palace still remained the focal point. Built atop of a high plateau, the natural terrain of the mountain slopes it sat on was enforced with another protective, metal layer which doubled as the last line of defense for those inhabiting the palace. Luckily, the armament hiding inside the casing had never seen the light of day since it had been installed by Van's great-grandfather.

A bit further outward from old-town, the foundations of the first wall were still visible in some places as a concentric circle closer to the palace. The wall had been torn down several times to make room for a prosperous, growing city to provide more space. Each time it had been relocated, it had been rebuilt with upgraded materials or updated as time passed and more modern ways for defense emerged. Further north-east, a tall mountain range with sharp peaks enclosed the city from the back like a natural barrier.

It took a while for Van to make his way out of the palace although avoiding people who were more accustomed to seeing him in a less formal state proved to be suspiciously easy. Nobody seemed to even pay attention to him. Turns out, Escaflowne's worries were very unfounded. His disguise was downright impeccable! As he strode across the courtyard, a radio blared pop music from the guard post not far off.

Royal security guards were hardly alert, talking to each other about upcoming plans for days off and some such stuff. One of the larger men in royal crimson enthusiastically tapped his booted foot to the beat of the music and mimicked the female singer's voice with his own high-pitched falsetto. It made Van cringe a bit.

The courtyard was fairly wide, originally intended for military formations back in the day or ceremonies such as coronations, parades, weddings, and whatnot. He was passing the round, blue and white flower mosaic in the center of it shortly after. The one he'd kneeled on while being crowned king not long ago. That ceremony had also been annoyingly stiff and followed a bunch of ancient rituals. Really though. Were other kingdoms still so backward too when it came to all this?

It'd been a while since he and Merle had last gone on any diplomatic trips but he was pretty sure the heir of, say, Egzardia wasn't required to wear a full-on armor complete with helmet and cape at their coronation. On the other hand, there was also a good chance they didn't consider a razor-sharp samurai sword to be the ruling symbol of their monarch. The sword itself and the art of wielding it in training, Van had always appreciated but actually using it in combat, to kill something, was so very different than anything could have prepared him for.

The royal sword was an heirloom passed down through generations and the thought of holding something which tied him to the long line of kings before him filled Van with pride. The sword was, without a doubt, his most valuable possession.

Thing is, it should have been Folken's. His brother, who had for some reason failed at passing the rite of dragon slaying. Even after tossing the issue around in his head for years, Van couldn't figure out what had happened. There'd never been any rescue missions or search parties either. On this quest, the heir to the throne was on his own. If he died, he died. Not the best odds considering what they were up against but customs wouldn't allow someone to rule if they weren't worthy.

One would think this whole ordeal with Escaflowne, slaying a dragon by hand, and the energist made zero sense. Why would a king well-versed in mortal sword combat need a machine such as Escaflowne? Kind of pointless, right?

Wrong.

Apparently, the Ispano had been instrumental in ensuring that Fanelia was well guarded before a wall had first been constructed. A king responsible for protecting his citizens needed a badass sidekick after all. Before him, Escaflowne had been under his father's command. The robot remembered Van from the time he'd been active then but after Goau Fanel was taken by a deadly disease, Escaflowne went into a temporary idle state until Van awakened it with the new energist.

The sentry had recognized him immediately after activation, had memory storage devoted to Van and all their interactions but now, due to the upgrades and change in ownership, the mood between them was something else. Maybe it was also due to the altered settings in Escaflowne's software or whatever it was the machine operated on now. Obviously, Ispano technology had made progress in the last years again but what the robot's inner workings looked like, only they knew.

For the most part, Van supposed Escaflowne's endoskeleton was made similarly to the melef drones which guarded armored mining convoys traveling beyond the wall each day. So yes, people did go outside daily but it was only specially trained workers who stayed on established and guarded routes. Nobody in their right mind would deviate from that.

Thankfully, it had been weeks since the last dragon incident outside. Even then, those drones programmed to protect the armored vehicle convoys had been able to take care of it. Dragons were fierce but not immortal. They favored the climate in this part of Gaea and only very few strayed into other regions.

For this reason, Fanelia was home to the only dragon graveyards on the charted globe which made it the prime exporter for drag energists. Since a good part of Gaean technology operated on this power source, the small country of Fanelia was a critically important member of international trade proceedings.

That's also why so many countries had diplomatic reps residing in Fanelia. Good relations with the only source for drag energist power was essential.

Van never understood why his ancestors had chosen to set up camp here so long ago before modern technology was even a thing. Who builds a city in the most dragon-infested piece of this continent? His people, apparently. Sure, history books had been shoved under his nose just as soon as he'd been able to read. Not that they weren't interesting but a bit more freedom to choose other material would have been nice every now and again.

But there was no use in griping about it now. His heritage, the throne, while the general public and the paparazzi made it seem all kinds of extravagant, required a great deal of self-sacrifice. The only reason Van really never griped about it too much was that he truly cared for his people. His pride of country, even though dragon-infested, prevailed above all. And, of course, the love for his adopted sister.

Merle had joined the family when Van was so small he couldn't recall a time without her around. Not that he wanted to. Sassy and opinionated as she was, his sister was an anchor to normal life in the palace. A palace so big it sometimes felt like he'd get metaphorically and literally lost. He even still felt this way now as a man in his early twenties.

Actually, he felt like that especially while passing through the massive wrought iron gate, the entrance and exit which lead to a wide staircase flanked by two sets of elevators on either side. It was the main and only convenient way to get on and off the palace plateau. People were already lined up to leave after a day of diplomatic games at court. Men in suits carrying briefcases and women in modest dresses and heels with large purses.

Some looked tired but happy to leave, waiting to get to their homes down in the city, the royal court only a place of business, unlike for Van. After all, the king worked and lived here. That's why he needed a bit of a break. Some time to himself. Right now!

Nobody ever took the stairs, especially not up. Except before there were elevators, of course. It took about five minutes of walking to get all the way down and climbing the stairs was an entirely different workout altogether. Van didn't mind, especially not because it meant his chances for being recognized by an observant council member were pretty much slim to none. Again, not that anybody was even looking. They probably all thought he either worked here too or was the stuck-up son of a diplomat. All the better for him.

The only area where he encountered a few people again was towards the bottom where pedestrians sometimes liked to hang out. The narrow cobblestone streets of old town around the palace were popular with hip, young people for taking pictures, sometimes with the palace way up as a backdrop. Some of them liked to sit on the stairs to eat ice cream or drink a cup of coffee from one of the chains along the small square. A cup of coffee like the young man he was passing. A sub-par coffee served in a disposable to-go cup.

Van wrinkled his nose. Nope, he needed the real thing. A coffee brewed from freshly roasted beans that didn't come from an industrial-sized machine made to satisfy the craving of hordes of people every day. Good coffee required love and care in preparation and was served in a ceramic mug. A rather large one, if at all possible. Could he have gotten a stellar cup of coffee in the kitchens at the palace? Yeah, sure but it defied the purpose. He just wanted to feel carefree for a bit and that wasn't going to happen up there.

In that quaint shop not too long ago, he had gotten a very homey vibe and that wasn't just because the young woman behind the counter had basically halfway undressed him as if it was their shared home they'd been in. Van's steps slowed a bit at the thought and he paused at the mouth of the familiar, narrow alley. So full of drive to get there and redeem the promise of a cup of that steaming hot nectar of life had he been that he had forgotten all about the rather…scandalous incident weeks ago.

Some mad luck it was that nobody but him, her, and Balgus seemed to know about it. It would have been the headline of the month and he hated being on the cover of those paparazzi magazines.

Too late for second thoughts. The air was already redolent with the rich aroma of dark roast, the scent stealing out through the cracked door of the little, old coffee shop only a short distance away. It was enveloping Van, beckoning him closer to the source. The dark magic spell was just too strong. He wasted no time in making his way there albeit still wary of what would happen if she was really there again.

The little bell Balgus had abused so violently gave a bit of a muted ding when he entered. There was a small crowd of other customers this time but sure enough, a mop of short honey-colored hair was visible behind the heads in front of him. Not a long line but a few people, just like him, obviously still appreciated the slow pace of a little mom and pop coffee shop like this. These people didn't rush through life but instead took the time to sit down and enjoy the simple pleasure of savoring a cup of fresh brew.

The line moved only slowly but it didn't bother anyone as everyone patiently awaited the careful attention given by…what was her name again?

"Hitomi!"

Right.

"Hey, Yukari," Hitomi cheerfully greeted a redheaded woman in green scrubs in front of Van. "Nice of you to stop by. Do you just want the usual?"

"Yes but make it a triple shot of espresso, pretty please. I need it badly," the woman named Yukari responded while stifling a yawn with the back of her hand.

"You got it," Hitomi promised and got to work.

Van could see a bit better now. She looked just the same but was in a pair of jeans and a white shirt under the green apron. His palms became a bit sweaty and the cheek she had administered the impressive slap to tingled all of the sudden. Damn. Maybe he should leave.

Of course, right at that moment she turned around and placed the large cup and saucer in front of the redhead on the counter and saw him. Her eyes flickered to the side briefly, then widened in recognition.

Yukari liked to stop by the little coffee shop Hitomi worked at on the way home whenever she could. They didn't always have the same shifts at the teaching hospital. Of course, having a hookup for the best coffee money could buy was an incentive to come here above all.

Hitomi turned away from the back counter and served her friend but then almost dropped the cup when she saw who was standing behind her. What in the seven hells…

Her eyes widened and her brows shot up. Was this really?

Yep, it definitely was. No other than the king of Fanelia, incognito again and looking like a young business professional in dark navy slacks and a white button-down shirt with sleeves rolled up to just under his elbows. He was next in line after her best friend and roommate. With his raven hair disheveled and wearing the same mirrored shades again, he looked too effortlessly handsome to be completely inconspicuous. Hitomi's heart skipped a beat when he raised a finger and placed it on his lips, motioning for her to keep his presence a secret.

His lips. The sight made her heart skip another beat and her hands went cold. All of this happened in a matter of seconds so Yukari seamlessly accepted the cup from Hitomi before she squealed so suddenly it forced Hitomi to direct her undivided attention back to her.

"I almost forgot!" Yukari trilled full of excitement. "Amano's brother will be in Fanelia later this week and you won't believe it but he said he could get us into the Mystic Moon!"

The Mystic Moon was Fanelia's hippest and most extravagant nightclub. It was named after the phantom moon visible in Gaea's sky behind its smaller twin. Neither of them had ever been there because it was nearly impossible for normal folks to get in. It was a ritzy place for rich people and kids of diplomats to party the night away.

No wonder Yukari was excited. It wasn't that Hitomi didn't like to dance or go out to party. She did. But the thought of spending a well-deserved evening trying to unwind and have a good time in the company of people she wouldn't normally have anything to do with made her feel a bit weird. Not like they were likely to schmooze with Fanelia's high-society. These people could probably tell from a mile away that their clothing wasn't name brand and that this definitely wasn't their normal stomping ground.

Well, at least she'd have Yukari and Amano. After the day she had walked in on them making out, they had finally declared their relationship status as official. The fact that they were all roommates luckily didn't have to change even after that. They had known each other long enough but walking in on them practically piled on top of each other had been an unexpected shocker.

Yukari's now-boyfriend, Amano, who was one year their senior, had been in Fanelia already a few months before they came and started college. He had been an accomplished athlete in Asturia and gotten multiple offers for sports scholarships from colleges around Gaea, then ultimately chosen to move to Fanelia and pursue an education in engineering and whatever else that entailed.

Although Amano and Allen were twin brothers, they had always had different styles and interests so Hitomi and Yukari never got to know him well. Especially not after moving halfway across the continent. Allen had opted for a completely different line of work and was now the head of security to Asturia's princess, Millerna Aston. If Allen was going to be here, that meant princess Millerna was likely the reason for his upcoming presence.

"We need to talk outfits later tonight!" Yukari was already beginning to scheme.

"Sounds like fun," Hitomi lied successfully and watched Yukari nod and motion to a table in the corner.

"Don't want to hold up your line. I'll be right here, reviewing a few pages in our beloved tome of anatomy while you work." Yukari said while already moving towards it.

Hitomi held her breath when her friend turned and nearly bumped into the tall man behind her. She briefly looked at him and smiled while shuffling past him. "S'cuse me."

"Ok great," Hitomi acknowledged her friend while already face to face with the dark-haired man who had been patiently looming behind her best friend until now.

That. Smug. Look on his face. Okay, maybe it wasn't intentional but he clearly came off smug. It was actually, probably just the sunglasses. Hitomi couldn't tell what he was really looking at and that bothered her. He did, of course, have a good reason for hiding though. So what. The reigning monarch wanted some coffee. No big dealio.

Dragonshit.

Of course, it was a big deal. Why was he here again of all places?

Oh drat, that's right, Hitomi remembered. Again, all this took place in a fraction of a second. Before he could even speak, she turned towards the back counter and filled one of the large mugs to the brim with piping hot coffee.

"Black, right?" Hitomi said while sliding it across the counter towards him with as much of a neutral expression as she could muster. "On the house," she said and it unintentionally may have come out a bit rude. Good thing nobody was paying attention because she clearly wasn't good at pretending like this was an absolutely normal transaction.

"Thank you," the disguised king said with the hint of a warm smile. Fine, maybe he really hadn't intended to come off smug but seeing him again right here made her remember the incident in such clarity as though it had only just happened yesterday.

The way she had shamelessly unbuttoned his shirt as if he was just a regular guy off the street. His warm hand on top of hers while stopping the bleeding on his wounded, upper arm. And then, of course, sitting on his lap, and….and…

Their encounter, although brief, was something she'd probably never forget.

It was so crazy she'd never even told anybody about it. Yukari was her best friend but even she would have laughed. Yeah, right. The king himself, waltzing into the shop disguised as a commoner. Recounting Hitomi's own clumsiness would have definitely checked out but then, the picture-book accident, like a scene from a silly rom-com. She probably wouldn't have believed it either.

For a while, she'd even convinced herself that it hadn't really happened. Not until she had found one of the paparazzi magazines Yukari loved so much open on the coffee table a few days later. It was turned to a page that had several pictures of 'The Most Eligible Bachelors on Gaea' on a double-page spread.

Undeniably, it had been him. His stature, the hair, the dark skin, and of course the garnet red eyes. Unique, garnet red eyes that were at this moment hidden to the world by only a pair of sunglasses. A pair of sunglasses attached to the very man standing right on the other side of the counter, still offering her a gentle half-smile.

Hitomi took a calm breath. He actually hadn't been completely insufferable even after she had, very deservedly, defended herself by slapping him so hard it'd immediately left a searing, red mark. Not a permanent one, as far as she could tell, thankfully. Come to think, did they still execute people here?

Now that she thought of it, the way to dispose of severe offenders in Fanelia was to ban them beyond the wall. But really, that hadn't happened in decades. It was a severely antiquated form of punishment. Eaten alive by a dragon? Probably not the law of the land anymore. Although…

"You're welcome," Hitomi finally forced herself to say as casually as possible. A side glance at Yukari confirmed that her friend was anything but attentive anymore after a, no doubt, hectic day at the hospital. Some days, patients demanded a whole lot of energy besides the free care they provided.

The tall, dark, and handsome man in front of her finally accepted the mug and was about to walk away but then reached into his trouser pocket. With a smooth movement, he dropped a crisp, folded bill into the tip jar full of coins and then found a seat at a tiny table on the far side. He sat sideways in the chair, leaning his back against the wall and propped one arm up on the table to hold the mug possessively even while he wasn't drinking.

Hitomi decided she'd try not to care that king Van Fanel was casually sitting on the other side of the room although this course of action was, naturally, sure to compel her to care even more.

Leaning against the wall behind him, he looked like his eyes could be closed but Hitomi thought she saw him tilt his head her way every now and again while she served a few more customers and then busied herself with some cleanup. Admittedly, she caught herself sneaking some glances here and there too. Okay, maybe more than just here and there.

Hey, nobody in their right mind would blame her if they knew what was up. It wasn't even just because he was the king of all Fanelia that she caught herself looking. He was, as previously mentioned, also very easy on the eyes. Especially with his shirt off.

No! Not that! Any thought but that!

Hitomi quickly ducked behind the counter and cupped her flaming cheeks in cool palms. She almost fell over backward when Yukari's head appeared from above.

"What are you doing down there?" Her friend asked.

Hitomi quickly snatched a clean rag from the pile on the little shelf next to her. "Just looking for this," she said weakly while it dangled in her grasp.

"Ah. Well, I'm gonna go now. Amano and I will get dinner started. Should be ready by the time you get home," Yukari waved briefly while Hitomi straightened back up.

The redness on her face was still present but what was there to do about it?

"Cool. I'm going to close at six," Hitomi said despite the nervousness.

"Say, " Yukari finally asked. "Are you okay?"

Her façade had obviously been not as convincing after all. Was she okay? Hells no, the king of Fanelia was sitting mere feet away. Was Yukari really not seeing that?

"Yes! Of course," Hitomi answered almost a bit too fast while her disobedient eyes stole a glance at the raven-haired man not far away.

Yukari briefly narrowed her eyes but then turned and walked towards the door. "You're such a weirdo sometimes. Later!"

Hitomi breathed a sigh of relief when her friend left. There was no telling what would have happened if Yukari had found out just who was sitting by the wall, now idly playing with the handle of the mug. It was astonishing that she hadn't recognized him right off the bat.

Yukari was one of those people who loved gossip about high society and read magazines published by the paparazzi during lunch breaks. Was the king's disguise really this good? No. No, it absolutely wasn't! Now that she looked at him again, it was totally obvious. Anybody should be able to tell. Who was dense enough to not recognize somebody just because they decided to sport a pair of glasses and mess up their hair?

Turns out everybody, including her, actually. She hadn't recognized him the first time either but attributed it to the fact that she didn't follow the high society news and never made it a point to sift through papers or magazines looking at pictures of 'The Most Eligible Bachelors on Gaea'. And if, then most certainly not the royal-blooded kind. The kind like the man gaping in her direction now.

Big yikes. She had been caught looking directly at him. A gigantic sweatdrop formed on the backside of her head when she noticed that Van was staring right back at her. How long had she been gawking? Seconds? Minutes? This was mortifying. She began to panic a bit when he rose from the old, worn chair and sauntered right up to the counter.

Without much ado at all, he placed the empty mug before her and said "thank you for the coffee," then pushed it a bit further her way before adding quietly, so that none of the last few people in the small room could hear, "I apologize for bothering you."

Great, now she felt bad. Hitomi reached out instinctively and groped for the empty coffee mug, staring at her own reflection in his shades while distinctly remembering what his eyes had looked like up close. Her fingers brushed his warm hand but he didn't hurry to retract it.

At least he had good manners and was nice enough to bring his dishes back. Further confirmation that he maybe wasn't such a bad guy after all? Less of an enigmatic, royal pain than Yukari's magazines depicted him to be. In the pictures she did see every now and again, king Van Fanel looked untouchable, serious, and rarely smiled. He was always wrapped in an invisible cloak of admiration, adulation, and respect and that showed in his demeanor. The demeanor of a royal who never let his guard down.

So much unlike now. Right now, in this cozy, friendly place he looked like he felt…comfortable. Like he was able to let his guard down for at least a short while. Maybe that's why he was here. He had said something along those lines after the…incident. Gods be damned she really needed to stop calling it that. It had been a kiss. His lips had been on hers, full on.

Then, after she'd delivered her retribution, he'd apologized and it seemed to have been sincere. After that, he had justified his desperate course of action. Hiding from his guards and wanting to be alone for a minute had been the very simple reason for that shorted circuit in his brain. Something about wanting to feel normal and not like the fate of all Fanelia was going to be resting on his shoulders soon.

Well, now it was. The weight. Resting on his shoulders. But he was carrying it well enough so far she was aware. Even she had read the announcements and news articles about his coronation not long ago and seen him in the ceremonial armor. A bit olden-timey but a guy like him, emanating that kind of swag, could probably look good in anything.

There they were again. Uncalled-for thoughts that would lead nowhere although he wasn't making any haste in retrieving his hand from under hers, or was he? She chanced a glance there.

The woman's eyes flickered to their barely touching hands and it made Van snap out of this frozen moment in time. Although the effect of the delicious coffee had him on high alert, the spellbinding power of the honey blonde's green eyes was stronger.

This situation was quite unusual. He felt so at home in the little coffee shop, had enjoyed sitting there by himself, sipping some hot brew out of an old, overused mug scratched inside and out from stirring spoons and endless use.

It was exactly what he'd needed but he hadn't bargained with being quite so captivated by seeing her again. It was really him who was to blame for all the awkwardness. If he hadn't used her so shamelessly, stolen a kiss just to hide his ass, they wouldn't be in this situation now. Maybe sneaking out of the palace wasn't such a good idea after all. It only caused trouble.

Maybe Escaflowne had been right. Not that he'd ever admit that of course. Not out loud, at least. Van finally and carefully retrieved his hand and offered the woman another hint of a smile. He hoped it looked genuine enough to convey everything he had just thought about because there wasn't really ever going to be a chance to talk about it again.

Van forced himself to leave but he could still feel the ghost of her touch on the back of his hand when he began to climb the palace steps. Rubbing the tingling spot across his trousers, he shook his head. Why was this bothering him so much though? What exactly was his problem?

Tbc…

A/N: Since this is an AU, I had to establish a lot and I hope it's not confusing so far. I'm pumped for modern high-society Gaea with olden timey influences and hope you are too.

#KOAescaFF #escaflownefanfic #the vision of escaflowne #adultlifeislamerthanadvertised #escaflowne #fanfiction

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sdfgja · 3 years

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agilenano · 4 years

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Agilenano - News: 2020-04-28

I’ve already shared two of my favourite exhibitions from Stockholm Design Week – ‘The Sculptor’s Residence’ and ‘The Archive’ – so today I have a round-up of interesting product launches from the Stockholm Furniture Fair, which takes place at the same time. The largest trade show in the Nordic design world, it brings together more than 700 brands – mostly from Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland, but a few from further afield, too. It’s also where many companies choose to unveil their latest pieces, and I’ve picked out some of my favourites below. So, make yourself a cuppa, sit back and feast your eyes on these beautiful new designs… Relaunched pieces from Fredericia’s archives First up is Danish brand Fredericia, which has long been a favourite of mine. Its focus has always been timeless, long-lasting design and for 2020 it has chosen to relaunch several classic pieces from its archives. One is the ‘Ditzel’ lounge chair, created in 1949 by Nanna Ditzel (later responsible for Fredericia’s iconic ‘Trinidad’ chair) and her husband Jørgen. It marked a departure from the upright, rigid chairs that were conventional at the time, and its curved shape was intended to give people the freedom to sit in new, more relaxed ways. The updated version is made from PUR foam with a steel frame, wooden legs and a choice of upholstery, and will be available from September. The other pieces, which are due to go on sale this spring, were all the work of Fredericia’s first design director, Børge Mogensen. The ‘BM61’ and ‘BM62’ chairs (the latter with arms, the former without) are simple yet striking, with a solid wooden frame and a choice of cane wicker or linen webbing for the seat and back. The ‘Canvas’ chair, meanwhile, has a clean-lined oak frame and chunky armrests that echo Mogensen’s famous ‘Spanish’ chair, but with canvas rather than leather for the seat and back. It was designed just before his death in 1972 and has never been put into full production before now, but it makes an excellent addition to Fredericia’s range. Versatile furniture and lighting from Carl Hansen & Son Børge Mogensen was also the man behind two pieces being relaunched by Carl Hansen & Son: the ‘BM0865’ daybed (available from May) and the ‘BM0488’ table bench (available from September). Both were originally showcased at the Copenhagen Cabinetmakers’ Guild furniture exhibition in 1958 and formed part of Mogensen’s ‘building furniture’ concept, through which he aimed to create enduring designs that could be added to and adapted over time in response to changing needs. The daybed is made up of modular oak seats, soft cushions and cylindrical head and armrests that can be used in all sorts of different combinations, and it suits a wide variety of spaces. The bench is crafted from solid oak with a woven top and is similarly versatile, working well as a seat, a side table, a coffee table or a surface for books and other items. Also on show on Carl Hansen’s stand – and in some of the below press photos – was the new ‘MO’ series of floor, table, wall and ceiling lamps. The company’s first collaboration with Danish designer Mads Odgård, it consists of simple lacquered-steel shapes that symbolise light’s comforting effect on people and is designed to last for decades without dating. It will be on sale from October, with prices starting at £263 / €300 per lamp. Scandinavian classics and contemporary tables from Warm Nordic There was yet another relaunch from Warm Nordic – a young Danish brand unveiled at the fair in 2018. It was founded with the aim of showcasing long-lost mid-century pieces alongside contemporary designs, and its latest addition is ‘Dwell’ – a family of compact sofas and armchairs first created by architect Hans Olsen in the 1950s. The curved shape and tapered wooden legs form an elegant yet striking silhouette and there’s a wide range of upholstery options to choose from, including leather and tactile bouclé. It’s set to go on sale this spring, with prices ranging from €1,800 to €5,250. Warm Nordic also used the fair to showcase its new ‘Affinity’ dining table. The work of architect / design duo Halskov & Dalsgaard, it combines a bevelled linoleum top with slimline metal legs and beautiful cane detailing. It comes in round and elliptical versions, with a choice of three muted colourways, and it too will be available in the spring. Prices start at €2,030. New additions at Artek New on Artek‘s stand were two pieces designed by French duo Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec: the ‘Rope’ chair and the ‘Tupla’ wall hook. Both combine simple-looking silhouettes with sophisticated construction and stay true to the Finnish brand’s ethos of blending art and technology (hence the name Artek). The chair is described as ‘a line drawing translated into space’ and consists of a steel-tube frame threaded with rope that forms the back and armrests. It’s surprisingly comfortable as it bends to the sitter’s shape, and it comes in black with a black polyester rope or light grey with a natural flax rope. The wall hook, meanwhile, is made from die-cast zinc and intended to add beauty to an everyday object, with elegant loops that are as lyrical as they are functional. Sculptural minimalism from Kristina Dam I always look forward to seeing the latest pieces from Copenhagen-based designer Kristina Dam, who describes her aesthetic as ‘sculptural minimalism’, and her spring-summer 2020 collection certainly didn’t disappoint. Among the new additions on her stand were the understated ‘Capsule’ glasses and carafe, the angular ‘Pedestal’ table and a bench to match the existing ‘Curved’ side table. I also spotted brown- and black-leather editions of the popular ‘Curved’ pouf, a new full-sized version of the ‘Rotating’ mirror, and a beautiful porcelain sculpture called ‘Brick’, which takes its cue from Ancient Greek architecture and features a single unbroken line. My favourites, though, were the powder-coated steel ‘Bauhaus’ lounge chair – a tribute to the famous Bauhaus art school, available in black or white and suitable for indoor and outdoor use – and the painted-glass ‘Dual’ vases, which come in soft, earthy colours and can be stood on either end, giving you two different designs in one. Many of the new launches are available now; others are coming soon but you can sign up for alerts via the website. New colours and options from String Furniture Swedish stalwart String Furniture used the fair to display several new additions, including a rich brown version of its iconic modular shelving system and the full roll-out of its beige colourway, first launched for some elements last year. There was also a new utilitarian version of its compact ‘Pocket’ shelf unit featuring perforated metal and a lipped edge. It was created by Swedish duo Anna von Schewen and Björn Dahlström, who sought to reinterpret the design while retaining the essence of the original, and is ideal for kitchens, bathrooms, utility rooms and garages. The holes can be used for hanging hooks, rails and other accessories, and it comes in three colour choices – white, taupe and neon orange – that were developed in collaboration with stylist Lotta Agaton. Sustainable wooden furniture from Nikari Finnish brand Nikari had largely escaped my radar before now, but I was very taken with the way it combines modern design with traditional craftsmanship. I was also impressed by its commitment to sustainability, which extends as far as powering its head office, studio and workshop with renewable energy from the hydro-power plant located next door. Its pared-back wooden pieces encompass creations from the likes of Alvar Aalto, Jasper Morrison and Claesson Koivisto Rune, and are made from responsibly sourced wood finished with natural lacquers. New for 2020 is the understated ‘Storia’ stool, designed by Nikari founder Kari Virtanen, and Jenni Roininenat’s ‘Basic’ table, which comes with round or rectangular ends. Both are understated and timeless, and I can see them fitting seamlessly into all sorts of different settings. All-new accessories from &tradition As well as displaying its recently launched pieces by Peter Hvidt and Orla Mølgaard Nielsen, &tradition unveiled ‘Collect’, a line of elegant and understated home accessories created by Space Copenhagen. Designed to complement the Danish brand’s range of classic and contemporary furniture and lighting, it includes cushions, throws and bedspreads in earthy hues such as beige, burgundy and terracotta. All are made from soft and cosy natural materials, with linen and merino wool alongside organic cotton. There’s also a series of hand-crafted concrete planters, which can be used indoors and out and come in three different sizes. The full collection should be available very soon, although prices have yet to be confirmed. The ‘Roadie’ bench from Massproductions Last but not least is Sweden-based Massproductions, whose new ‘Roadie’ outdoor bench was named ‘Best Product’ in the fair awards. The creation of the brand’s British co-founder Chris Martin, it was inspired by the steel crowd control barriers found at rock concerts and is made from strong yet lightweight aluminium. The high back is designed for comfort, and the curved shape means sections can be placed together in a circle to encourage conversation; it’s also stackable for easy storage. It comes in brushed silver, pale yellow and dark green finishes, and matching seat cushions are available. Prices start at €2,060. All images courtesy of the brands mentioned above The post New finds from the Stockholm Furniture Fair 2020 appeared first on These Four Walls. #MinimalistInteriors #Interiors #NordicMinimalism #MinimalistDesign #DanishDesign

Agilenano - News from Agilenano from shopsnetwork (4 sites) https://agilenano.com/blogs/news/2020-04-28

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tamboradventure · 4 years

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16 Things to See and Do in Tallinn, Estonia

Posted: 03/12/20 | March 12th, 2020

Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, is a medieval city nestled against the Baltic Sea. With its picturesque historic Old Town that dates back to the 13th century, it has been drawing in tourists since the fall of the Soviet Union.

Cheap flights, cheap prices, and the beauty of Prague without the crowds have made Tallinn an appealing weekend getaway for Europeans.

I visited the city on a trip from Finland — there’s a frequent ferry service between the two cities — and was enamored by it. It was a blend of Nordic and Baltic culture with plenty of things to see and do.

Best of all, it was super affordable!

Though the city has become a bit more crowded and expensive in the last couple of years, it’s still one of my favorite places in the region. It’s peaceful and wonderful: the people are open and relaxed and the country is super tech-forward (they offer e-residency services specifically for digital nomads).

To help you make the most out of your trip, here are the best things to see and do in Tallinn — from the super touristy to off the beaten trail!

1. Take a Free Walking Tour

One of the best things you can do when you arrive in a new city is to take a free walking tour. They’re a great way to learn about a destination and its history while taking in the main sights.

Not only will it give you a solid introduction to the city but you’ll get access to a local guide who can answer any and all questions you might have.

EstAdventures has a few different free tour options, including general walking tours, tours focused on the city’s communist past, and street art tours. Just make sure to tip your guide!

2. Estonian Maritime Museum

Founded in 1935 and located inside a historic 500-year-old building, this museum highlights the history of Estonia’s maritime culture. The main attraction is the interactive Seaplane Harbour exhibition, which includes a Short 184 seaplane as well as the steam-powered icebreaker Suur Toll.

And don’t miss the 1936 submarine Lembit, the only surviving Baltic warship from before WWII (and one of only two submarines in Estonian naval history). There’s also an aquarium, ship miniatures, and a flight simulator. It’s a fun and educational place for adults and kids alike.

Vesilennuki tee 6, +372 6200 550, meremuuseum.ee. Open Tuesday–Sunday 10am–6pm; closed Monday. Admission: 15 EUR.

3. Glehn Park & Castle

Glehn Park, located on the Nomme hillside, is home to medieval-style Glehn Castle. Built in 1886, both the park and castle were created by Nikolai von Glehn, a rich and eclectic man known for his unusual taste in decoration (such as tables and chairs carved like figurines, large statues, and an obelisk in front of his house marking the grave of his favorite horse).

Unfortunately, most of the castle was looted during World War I, so none of the unique pieces of furniture he created remain. However, you’ll still get to see the statues he built on the grounds of the park. There’s also an observatory tower and palm house, which has a gorgeous mosaic rooftop. It’s a good place to relax, go for a walk, or go skiing during wintertime.

Vana-Mustamäe 48, +372 652 5076, ttu.ee/organisatsioonid/glehni-loss. The building isn’t open to the public as it is now used for events (weddings, conferences, receptions, etc.).

4. Tallinn Town Hall & Square

Tallinn’s Gothic town hall is the oldest in the Baltics. Completed in 1404, it boasts a 64m spire topped with a weather vane of an old warrior (named Old Thomas), a Tallinn city guard and hero from the 16th century who fought in the Livonian War.

You can climb the spire to 34 meters (111 feet) from May through September. The interior of the Town Hall is open to visitors as a museum only during July and August; inside, you’ll get to see colorful designs on the walls, intricate wood carvings, and stunning arched ceilings as you learn about the city and its history.

The surrounding plaza is a great place to people-watch and it hosts lots of activities and markets throughout the year.

Don’t miss the annual five-day Tallinn Old Town Days festival held in May. It’s dedicated to the cultural heritage of Tallinn and includes themed days such as Medieval Day and Children’s Day, as well as numerous workshops, music, and theatre performances.

Raekoja plats, Kesklinna linnaosa (City Center), +372 645 7906, raekoda.tallinn.ee/. Open weekdays from 10am-4pm. Advance reservations required. Admission is 5 EUR.

5. Tallinn Museum of Photography

Hidden amidst the cobblestone streets of Tallinn, this small museum is tucked away inside a 14th-century prison. It focuses on Estonia’s history of photography with a permanent exhibition including antique photos and cameras from 1840 — when photography first made its way to Tallinn — to 1940.

You can also check out contemporary photography from modern-day artists in many of the museum’s rotating exhibits. It’s a very small museum, but super interesting even if you’re not a huge photography buff.

Raekoja 4/6, +372 644 8767, linnamuuseum.ee/fotomuuseum. Open Saturday, Wednesday, and Friday from 10am–5pm, Thursdays from 12–8pm, and Sunday from 11am–4pm. Closed Monday and Tuesday.

6. Estonian Open-Air Museum

Located 15 minutes from the city center by car, this open-air ethnographic museum recreates what life was like in Estonia’s rural countryside. It’s a life-sized rural village composed of farms, a wooden chapel, a school, fire station, shop, and an inn that highlights how families from different social classes lived during the 18th and 19th centuries.

There’s plenty to do, from eating a traditional Estonian meal to riding a horse to taking a workshop. It’s open all year round, but you might want to go during the summertime when it’s warm! It’s also one of the best things to do in Tallinn with kids. Download the mobile app Numu for a free audio guide while you’re at the museum.

Vabaõhumuuseumi tee 12, +372 654 9100, evm.ee/est/avaleht.Open daily from 10am–5pm. Admission is 8 EUR. Free entrance with a Tallinn Card.

7. Ichthus Art Gallery

This is one of Tallinn’s best-kept secrets. It’s tucked away in the depths of St. Catherine’s Dominican Monastery, which dates back to 1246. On arrival, turn right toward steep steps that take you into the cellar. The confined space used to contain three wings, called the Claustrum, that housed monks in the 13th century.

Today, the space is used by artist Aleksandr Savchenkov, who sells his original artwork from the cellar. As you wander about you’ll also see the ‘Energy Pillar’, which is located in the ancient monastic chambers and is said to be a source of spiritual well-being.

Müürivahe Tänav 33, +372 5559 5920. Admission is free; however, donations are accepted.

8. Epitaphs of the Cathedral of Saint Mary

The grounds of this church date back to the 13th century, though the current building itself is from the 17th. What makes it unlike most other churches is that coats-of-arms epitaphs hang on the walls of the church instead of more traditional religious artwork or decorations.

Historically, these were used as headstones for people of importance, such as nobles and knights. They reflect the people of status who were buried on the grounds.

In fact, the first man who ever led a Russian voyage around the world, Admiral Adam Johan von Krusenstern, is buried here. Climb the 69-meter (226-foot) bell tower to get a beautiful view of the city.

Toom-Koolitänav 6, +372 644 4140. Open Tuesday–Sunday 10am–3:30pm, closed Mondays. Admission is 5 EUR for adults and 3 EUR for children. Dress respectfully as this is a place of worship.

9. Estonian Architecture Museum

The Estonian Architecture Museum was established in 1991 during the fight for Estonian independence. The museum is located in the Rotermann Salt Storage building, which was built in 1908 (and then reconstructed in 1995 with multiple additional floors for the museum).

Its galleries now feature drawings from the 1920s, as well as over 11,500 archived items (such as drawings and sketches) and some 18,000 items in their photo collection. There are always some interesting rotating exhibits here too.

Ahtri tänav 2, +372 625 7000, arhitektuurimuuseum.ee. Open Tuesday–Sunday 11am–6pm, closed Mondays. Admission is 6 EUR.

10. TV Tower

Adrenaline junkies will get a kick out of visiting the TV Tower. Not only will you have an incredible bird’s-eye view of Tallinn from the top, which stands 314 meters (1,030 feet) tall, but you can also try the Walk on the Edge experience. Hop into a harness and step outside of the tower onto the exposed deck. It’s the highest open deck in Northern Europe and offers both an amazing view and a huge rush!

The TV Tower was constructed when Tallinn was chosen as a host city for sailing during the 1980 Moscow Olympics. It closed in 2007 for renovations and reopened in 2012. It has floor-to-ceiling windows (not ideal if you’re afraid of heights) so you can really soak in the view as well as touch-screen information panels so you can learn about the tower and the city.

The tower hosts many events, such as music concerts and the annual Stair Run to mark the anniversary of its reopening.

Kloostrimetsa tee 58 A, +372 686 3005, teletorn.ee. Admission is 13 EUR and the Walk on the Edge costs 30 EUR.

11. Telliskivi Creative City

The Telliskivi Creative City is a workplace for over a thousand people, with artist’s studios, a radio station, rehearsal spaces, and NGO offices, all situated throughout ten repurposed factory buildings. Telleskivi hosts a flea market every Saturday, and there are over 600 cultural events throughout the year, including dance performances, music concerts, and improv theatre.

There are colorful murals on many of the buildings and you’ll also find restaurants and bars full of locals and tourists alike. Make sure you eat at Peatus (“Stop” in Estonian) for a really unique experience: it’s located inside two old Soviet railcars (and the food is great too!).

Telliskivi tänav 60a, Pohja, Tallinna linnaosa.

12. Bastion Tunnels

These tunnels were initially built in the 17th century as an addition to the Kiek in de Kök (Peek in the Kitchen) tower, and were intended for storage. They later held prisoners and then were used as shelters against air raids during World War II.

In more modern history, thieves and rebels used them for shelter since the police usually avoided the tunnels. They were cleaned out and opened up to the public in 2004. If you’re brave enough, you can explore the winding maze of the dark, damp tunnels on a guided tour when you visit the tower.

Komandandi tee 2, +372 644 6686, linnamuuseum.ee/kiek-de-kok. Open Tuesday–Sunday 10am–5pm (Thursday until 8pm), closed Monday. Admission is 14 EUR.

13. Toompea Castle & Alexander Nevsky Cathedral

Toompea Castle dates all the way back to the 9th century and is currently used by Riigikogu, Estonia’s Parliament. The east wing has a brightly colored pink and white exterior in baroque style, as ordered by Empress Catherine the Great in 1773. The opposing side still has its medieval stone exterior. The Estonian flag is raised above the tower at sunrise every day.

You can also visit the nearby Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. It opened in 1900 during the Czarist Empire and is home to Tallinn’s largest bell (it weighs 15 tons). The impressive exterior showcases Russian Revival architecture with its onion-shaped dome. The interior is decorated with colorful mosaics and stained-glass windows and has three ornate altars.

Toompea Castle: Lossi plats 1a, +372 631 633, riigikogu.ee. On Thursdays at 11am, there’s a 45-minute English-language tour of the castle. Admissions is free though you need to reserve your spot in advance.

Alexander Nevsky Cathedral: Lossi plats 10, +372 644 3484, cathedral.bg/en/home. Open daily from 7am-7pm. Admission is free. Dress respectfully as it is a place of worship.

14. Soviet Statue Graveyard

The Soviet Statue Graveyard, located near Maarjamäe Castle, contains a collection of discarded statues, such as those of Joseph Stalin, Vladimir Lenin, and Mikhail Kalinin. After the Soviets left Tallinn, they were dumped here and ignored.

You’ll find large statues of heads (a classic Soviet statue trend) and others that tower over three meters (ten feet) tall. It’s a surreal place to visit — especially when you realize it hasn’t even been 30 years since Estonia achieved independence and these statues were left to fade into history.

Pirita tee 56, 10127, ajaloomuuseum.ee/exhibitions/permanent-exhibitions/noukogude-aegsete-monumentide-valinaitus. Open Tuesday–Sunday 10am–6pm, closed Monday.

15. KGB Museum

Rooms previously used by spies during the Soviet era sit on the top floor of the stylish Hotel Viru, located on Viru Square. They house listening and recording equipment (some cleverly disguised), dial telephones, uniforms, and a typewriter.

Few people ever knew these rooms existed, and they were only exposed in the 1990s when the KGB fled the city. They shed light on just how controlling and subversive the Soviet government was during the occupation.

Viru väljak 4, +372 680 9300, viru.ee/en. Open daily from 10am–5pm. The guided tour begins in the hotel lobby.

16. Take in the View

For the best view in the city, head to Kohtuotsa viewing platform. It’s on Toompea Hill and offers the best view of the city and harbor. You’ll also often find buskers here, making it a nice place to end your day and watch the sunset.

***

Tallinn remains one of my favorite destinations in Europe. It’s a fun and lively city home to quirky museums, hidden art exhibits, and beautiful architecture.

Go enjoy all the wonderful things to do here.

Book Your Trip to Estonia: Logistical Tips and Tricks

Book Your Flight Find a cheap flight by using Skyscanner or Momondo. They are my two favorite search engines because they search websites and airlines around the globe so you always know no stone is left unturned.

Book Your Accommodation You can book your hostel with Hostelworld. If you want to stay elsewhere, use Booking.com as they consistently return the cheapest rates for guesthouses and cheap hotels. My favorite hostel in the city is:

Tallinn Backpackers – This is a lively, social hostel that makes it easy to meet people since they have a pub crawl every night. The staff are great too!

Don’t Forget Travel Insurance Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. I’ve been using World Nomads for ten years. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:

World Nomads (for everyone below 70)

Insure My Trip (for those over 70)

Looking for the best companies to save money with? Check out my resource page for the best companies to use when you travel! I list all the ones I use to save money when I travel – and I think will help you too!

Photo credit: 3 – Vladimir Varfolomeev, 4 – Holger Vaga, 5 – Pudelek, 6, 7 – Sander Säde, 8, 9 – Zairon, 10 – Nosser, 11 – Sheila Dee, 12 – Relkmsaiia, 13 – Narva69, 14 -Diego Delso, 15 – Ferran Cornella, 16, 17 – PIERRE ANDRE LECLERCQ

The post 16 Things to See and Do in Tallinn, Estonia appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

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yourmarkrobinblr · 5 years

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How to plan a perfect kitchen layout?

Choosing a new kitchen is one of the most exciting projects when it comes to renovating the home. It can also be the most expensive, stressful and time-consuming. From picking the right style to finding a designer and agreeing the layout, there’s a lot to take on board. However tempted you are to rush into a showroom and choose your design, it’s vital that you take plenty of time to consider what it is you really want.Breaking the planning process into manageable steps will make the process easier. Think of it as a journey, and give each step all the time and consideration it needs.Whether this is your first, or you need a little help with planning your second or even third design, then read on.

1. Assess all your needs?

First, have a good clear-out, so you’re not factoring in items you haven’t used for years. Now take a look around your existing kitchen installation and make a list of all the things you like and dislike about it. This could be anything from how much storage there is – and where it is – to the types of appliances and colour of the cabinetry. This will help you focus on retaining or improving particular aspects.

Think about whether the actual space works or if it needs opening up or extending. The most common building work involves knocking down a wall between kitchen and dining room, so consider creating a more open plan feel if you have the chance.

It might help to ask yourself a few questions about how you want to use the space. Do you simply need a place to prepare meals, or are you dreaming of a multifunctional area where you can also have lunch or dinner with family and friends? Who do you cook for, what do you cook and how do you cook it?

2. Think about plumbing and heating

Will you be using existing plumbing for sinks and appliances or will you require additional pipe work? If you’re planning to include a kitchen island containing a sink or other appliances in your design, you need to ensure that plumbing and electricity supplies are in place before flooring is laid. Work out where appliances, both big and small, are going to be to ensure that you have plug points where you need them.

‘Wherever you decide to locate your sink, it’s a good idea to install your washing machine and dishwasher nearby. ‘It’ll help keep plumbing simple.’

Underfloor heating is a popular choice for kitchens as radiators can take up valuable space. If you’re opting for underfloor heating, this will need to be installed prior to laying the kitchen floor.

3. Consider lighting options

When planning lighting it’s a good idea to make the system quite flexible so you can regulate areas of your kitchen independently. Secondary lighting, such as spots above cooking and preparation areas, is also useful.

Consider your kitchen must-haves. Do you long for sleek worktops, a statement island or lots of cupboards for storage? Or are there some specific appliances that you think will make your life in the kitchen much easier?

Everybody likes to work in their own particular way and each person has a different list of priorities, so it’s important to write yours down right at the beginning to ensure your kitchen is tailored to your family’s specific needs. This will also save a lot of time and trouble when it comes to discussing your project with a kitchen specialist.

4. Be inspired?

How you want your kitchen to look is, of course, a very personal choice. It really helps to collect images and magazine tear sheets and put together a scrapbook or mood board. Also, make a note of surfaces, materials or accessories you’ve seen that work well together.

Even something as simple as a pretty plate, tile, piece of furniture or scrap of fabric can be a great starting point for choosing a theme or colours. Don’t worry too much about cost at this point, just focus on things that inspire you, and soon you’ll be able to identify styles you are drawn to.

5. Consult a kitchen designer

To get the absolute maximum from your space, input from a professional kitchen designer can prove invaluable. Their experience and expertise will offer you plenty of simple ideas – as well as innovative ones – that you might not have even considered.

Kitchen designers will also have up-to-the-minute knowledge of products, fixtures and fittings, and can source everything on your behalf. Ultimately, they’ll help ensure your new kitchen works as efficiently as possible.

Only agree on a quote for the design and installation of a kitchen once the designer has looked at the space. Once the design has been completed, make sure you have a full quotation for the cabinetry and installation. Always check what is included in the cost, including whether the company will oversee the project from start to finish.

Never pay a deposit of more than 65% of the total contract value and ensure you have a written schedule for further payments. Don’t pay in full until you have received delivery of your goods.?

6. Set your budget

Always be honest about your budget so that your designer can help you decide where to save and where to invest – even if you haven’t got large sums to spend. Open shelving is less expensive than closed cupboards, for example, while capacious low-level, pull-out storage may mean you need fewer wall units, which saves on cost.

It’s easy to get giddy when faced with a wealth of shiny appliances with countless programs and functions, so only invest in things you think you’ll genuinely use. And don’t forget to include installation fees, as well as the kitchen itself.

Finally, make sure your budget includes a 10 per cent contingency fund, to cover any unexpected extra costs.If you’re is a bind about where to splash the cash, here are our top tips on where to spend and where to save:

Always go for the best worktops you can afford, as they are one of the most hardworking elements of any kitchen. Granite, composite and solid surfaces are all good investments as they are tough, durable and will give your kitchen a luxurious finish.Next, make sure your cabinets are of good quality. Don’t be tempted to skimp on thi carcases, as they’ll not last very long. You want at least a 15mm thickness all round – if not more.Think about savings on your choice of doors. We can’t all afford rich wood veneers, so why not recreate the same look with a laminate or PVC foil finish instead? Even hi-gloss doors come in different price brackets depending on whether they are lacquered or laminated. ‘While they all essentially look the same, a lacquered kitchen can cost considerably more than the laminate equivalent.Spend wisely on appliances, too, buying the best oven and hob you can afford – but perhaps consider a less expensive brand for the laundry and do without the coffee machine and wine cooler. It’s all about compromise if your budget is under strain, so make sure you spend on the things that matter – you can always add luxury small appliances and accessories in years to come.

7. Call in the professionals

So, you’ve found your kitchen designer, chosen your layout and style and you’ve paid your deposit. What happens next? You need to find a team to install it.

It’s important to remember that the way your kitchen is installed can make all the difference. A bad fitter can make any kitchen look terrible, but a good one will ensure even inexpensive units look amazing.

It may be a simple refresh so you’ll only have the kitchen supplier and fitter to co-ordinator. However, if it’s a big project, then there might be builders, electricians and plumbers to consider, too. It’s important at this stage to get some form of project manager in hand, whether that’s yourself, your kitchen company or an architect. Everyone needs to be clear about what needs to be done when, as delays and mistakes in kitchen planning can be costly.

If you’re planning a larger refit or build, you may also need Planning Permission or Building Regulations approval. Visit the your local Planning Portal for further information.

Often your budget will dictate how much project management is needed. If you’re buying off the shelf from a DIY store you’d expect to have to employ and co-ordinate an variety of craftsmen including builders, plumbers and electricians. A number of mid-price kitchen companies provide fitting services but often you’ll have to get them to liaise with other trades for work outside their fitting remit. Always check with your kitchen company at the start about which services they can and can’t provide.

Even many bespoke companies will not undertake first-fit electrics or plumbing so you will have to co-ordinate these elements yourself. Some of the high-end bespoke companies do offer ‘turn key’ services, where they will co-ordinate all building plumbing and electrical work but be prepared to pay a premium for this service.

8. Choose your finishing touches?

Make your kitchen feel more coherent by subtly linking finishes – pair a timber breakfast bar with wooden stools, for instance, or upholster the seats with fabric that ties in with your splashback. Little details, such as cabinetry handles, can make a big difference and transform a simple white scheme.

Rather than buying everything from the same supplier, source furnishings and accessories from a variety of places, and mix things up to create an individual look. Unusual objects picked up on your travels or gorgeous vintage finds will all help to create a more homely and characterful environment.

#kitchen installation #kitchen designer

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tipsycad147 · 5 years

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Tools of a Witch

Written and Compiled by George Knowles

Athame / Pentacle / Wand / Chalice / Censer / Broom / Bolline / Cauldron / Bell / Book of Shadows

Below is a list of the standard tools used in witchcraft together with their uses and significances. For other correspondences see:

Incense / Candles / Colours / Magickal Days / Stones and Gems / Elements and Elementals

Pentacle - The pentacle is a traditional tool of the craft. Originally it is thought to have been adopted from ceremonial magic. It is usually a round solid disc often made from stone, wood or cooper. On the disc is engraved or painted an up-right five pointed star enclosed inside a circle called the Pentagram. A disc decorated in this manner then becomes called a Pentacle. In some traditions other symbols are added indicative of deities, spirits or the elements as sources of power. The pentacle is normally the centrepiece of the alter on which objects are placed to be consecrated or charged, such things as amulets, charms and tools are placed on it, as is the salt and water for blessing. The pentacle represents the elements of Earth and is sometimes used to summon the Gods and Goddesses. For a more detailed description of the pentacle - pentagram see (Pentagram - Pentacle).

Sources

Wicca, A guide for the Solitary Practitioner - By Scott Cunningham

Encyclopedia of Wicca & Witchcraft - By Raven Grimassi

A Witches' Bible - By Janet and Stewart Farrar

Witchcraft for tomorrow - By Doreen Valiente

https://www.controverscial.com/Tools%20of%20a%20Witch.htm

Picture https://www.spiritwalkministry.com/traditional_witchcraft/the_tools_of_a_witch

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shirlleycoyle · 3 years

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Inside The ‘World’s Largest’ Video Game Cheating Empire

Catfish, a video game cheats developer, wasn't sleeping well. He had just suspended the sale of his massively popular and profitable cheat for PUBG Mobile after two of his closest collaborators had gone missing for days, and customers were furious. On the morning of January 20, after a restless night, Catfish woke up early, he said, and finally saw a message from one of the salespeople, who went by the name "IIIIIIIII," alerting him that he had to suddenly go on a trip to Shanghai.

At first, Catfish was confused, because his colleagues usually gave him advance notice if they were not going to be available to work, but "after I connected the dots I absolutely panicked," he said.

Catfish said he then wiped the servers he used to maintain and run his cheats, and used "a good old hammer" to destroy all his hard disks "that could possibly contain cheat-related stuff."

"I was so panicked that I also hammered every single visible chip in [the solid state drives]," he said. "Then I just drove to a place a few miles away and dropped them off there."

As it turns out, IIIIIIIII and the other salesperson had been arrested—on January 20 and January 12, respectively—by Chinese police working with Tencent, the giant Chinese technology company and PUBG Mobile's publisher. The arrests were the last salvo in a nearly year-long investigation started in March 2020, when Tencent reported Catfish's website to the authorities, according to the Kunshan Police.

"I've gotten used to being on the Chinese news," Catfish said.

Last year, authorities had already arrested 10 other people associated with the cheating organization. But those were just resellers, according to Catfish. The arrests of two of his closest collaborators hit much closer to home, and forced him to shut down the whole organization and lay low.

"I know the cops were on to my organization for a long time," Catfish told Motherboard. "Although I never disclosed personal info to [my colleagues] I actually always thought they were kind of invincible and never thought that they could get arrested."

"We were the best cheat for the most popular game"

At the beginning of April, the police accused Catfish's two salespeople, whom it identified only by the names He and Wang, of being part of the "world's largest" video game cheating ring, which authorities refer to as "Chicken Drumstick." The organization raked in $77 million from selling cheats, according to the cops. Wang owned luxury cars worth around $3 million—including a Ferrari and a Lamborghini—and a stash of Bitcoin worth around $4 million, despite the fact that his day job only paid him $462 a month, according to the police.

The two were accused of being responsible for the finances and day-to-day operation of the organization, including distributing profits, collecting money, and communicating with Catfish, according to the authorities.

But Catfish said he is the mind and the lead developer behind the video game cheating empire, and his story offers a rare glimpse into an otherwise secretive world—the quasi-illegal multi-million dollar industry of video game cheats.

Catfish, an alias Motherboard granted the developer because he is still wanted by the police, verified he is the main developer and leader of the cheat organization, which he branded Cheat Ninja, by showing he had control of several domains used by the group, including CheatNinja.com. That website included a link to a Telegram channel where Cheat Ninja announced on January 23—three days after the Chinese authorities arrested Catfish's colleagues—that it was pausing service "due to the ongoing legal issues with Tencent."

A screenshot of that announcement appears in a video shared by Tencent on its official account on Weibo, one of China's most popular social networks. The same video also shows parts of the official Cheat Ninja website. The video was made by a popular video game commentator on Bilibili, China's equivalent of YouTube.

One of Catfish's aliases also appears in an old build of the cheat, according to two sources in the video game cheating community. One of these sources shared the build with Motherboard, and it indeed included Catfish's alias.

Catfish also showed Motherboard he was the administrator of a Slack where someone with the nickname IIIIIIIII was another admin. Kunshan Police said that He, one of the salespeople arrested this year, was known online as IIIIIIIII.

The icon of the popular PUBG Mobile cheat known as "Chicken Drumstick" (Image: Motherboard)

Cheating is a constant topic of conversation among players in games like PUBG, Overwatch, and Call of Duty: Warzone. Cheats for those games are essentially hacks that allow cheaters to see through walls or aim perfectly.

Games like PUBG or Warzone attract some of the best players in the world, and winning games is incredibly hard. Losing because you get killed by a cheater is an infuriating experience and, if it happens often enough, can quite literally drive away a game's player base as people leave for games that have fewer cheaters.

"It’s a negative spiral that can kill a game," an employee of a video game company with knowledge of cheating organizations told Motherboard.

If players leave the games, especially the free-to-play ones such as Apex Legends, Warzone, or PUBG where players are more likely to buy cosmetic items if they keep playing, it hurts the publishers' bottom line.

For this reason, cheating is an expensive problem for game developers, many of whom have dedicated anti-cheat teams who try to detect and ban cheaters, and try to patch the vulnerabilities they were exploiting.

Despite game makers' best efforts, cheating is still a problem in online games because players want cheats and are willing to pay for them, which fuels a lucrative industry. Seven years ago, a cheat developer claimed he was making $1.25 million a year; more recently, a hacker revealed that for 20 years he had been living off of cheating and exploiting vulnerabilities in games. Video game companies have sued several cheat makers, claiming millions of dollars in losses, and in some of those lawsuits, judges have ordered cheat makers to pay back millions.

Do you reverse engineer games or develop cheats for them? Or do you work on anti-cheat engines? We’d love to hear from you. Using a non-work phone or computer, you can contact Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai securely on Signal at +1 917 257 1382, lorenzofb on Wickr and Telegram, OTR chat at [email protected], or email [email protected]

Developing and selling cheats in China is considered a hacking crime. Last year, authorities sentenced five men to six-to-nine months in jail for developing and selling Peacekeeper Elite (the name for PUBG Mobile in China) cheats. Earlier this year, a man was sentenced to three years in prison and a fine of 100,000 Chinese Yuan (around $15,000) for developing and selling cheats for Knives Out, another mobile battle royale game. That man was charged with providing tools for intruding upon or illegally controlling a computer information system, according to local media.

According to a recent report from Statista, there are more than 650 million people in China who play games on their phones such as PUBG Mobile, making it "the world's most lucrative gaming market." Tencent, a company worth around $890 billion, has made a point to publicly denounce and shame cheaters, and has worked with the authorities to round them up too.

In an over the top promotional video last year, Rick Li, the producer of PUBG Mobile, said that "cheaters will always be punished."

A Tencent spokesperson declined to answer a series of specific questions about the investigation into Catfish's Cheat Ninja operation. The spokesperson confirmed that the organization focused mainly on PUBG Mobile cheats; he also said the criminal inquiry is still underway.

"Tencent Games is committed to providing a fair-play environment for our players," said a statement sent by Tencent via email. "Our security team makes continuous efforts to combat cheating and optimize in-game security systems."

When the Kunshan Police and Tencent announced the charges against Catfish's colleagues, the tech company presented the police with a plaque that said: “Strike like thunder, clean the net, crack down on illegal activities, govern together.”

The Kunshan Police presents a Tencent representative with an award for collaborating on the Chicken Drumstick investigation and crackdown. (Image: Kunshan Police)

Tencent and the authorities refer to the cheating operation as Chicken Drumstick because of the icon of the cheat, which Catfish said was inspired by "winner winner chicken dinner," the slogan displayed to the winning team on PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds and PUBG Mobile. Officially, however, Catfish said the cheat was first known as Sharpshooter and, more recently, as Cheat Ninja, a name Catfish and his colleagues adopted after they employed some new people and launched a dedicated website by the same name.

Even before the branding change, Catfish's organization was well known and highly profitable, perhaps as much or more than anyone else in the business.

"There are cheat developers we know that make over $2 million per month. That’s $24 million per year," the employee of a video game company with knowledge of cheating organizations told Motherboard. "If you are in business for three years, you’re in that ballpark."

Another gaming company employee, who also asked to remain anonymous as they were not authorized to speak to the press, agreed. He referred to the case of LeagueSharp, a provider that was making cheats for just one game, League of Legends. Riot Games sued the developers and forced them to pay $10 million. In that case, the settlement was determined based on LeagueSharp's gross revenue, according to him.

"So maybe a long running Chinese organization targeting multiple games could get that high," he said. "And if they did, it'd likely be a record."

Catfish declined to share exactly how much money his cheating operation generated, but said that the $77 million figure that the police claimed is roughly correct when accounting for Bitcoin's surge in value in the last few months. That's enough for him to retire today if he wanted, he said.

Catfish never thought his cheats would become so popular and would make him rich, or that he would come in the crosshairs of Chinese police. After all, it all started as a curiosity at the end of 2017.

At the time, Catfish said, he and his friends ran into a lot of cheaters when they played PUBG on PC. As a software engineer he got curious about developing his own cheat for himself and his friends. When Tencent launched a version of PUBG for iOS and Android, he started working on a cheat for the new platform as well.

His cheat for PUBG included features such as wallhack, which allows cheaters to see other players highlighted through walls and other obstacles, and aimbot, which allows cheaters to automatically aim at enemies, according to Catfish.

Through a cheat development chat group, he said, he soon found a business partner to sell them, focusing exclusively on the Chinese market. In the country, cheats are usually sold on sites that pretend to distribute legitimate software, called "卡网," which translates to "card net" or "key net." Customers pay the sellers and get a license key in return to activate the cheats. Cheats are also sold via WeChat gaming groups or dedicated forums.

"The cheat was a huge hit. It sold thousands of copies within a few days. People just had never seen this kind of cheat on mobile before," Catfish said. "I think we earned tens of thousands of Chinese Yuan within not even a week."

The success soon overwhelmed them both. Catfish's business partner was worried about getting caught by Tencent and the police, and Catfish was worried about the cops finding out his real identity as well. It soon dawned on him that developing and selling cheats would involve a constant and relentless cat-and-mouse game to get around Tencent's anti-cheat system.

"It's too much pressure to add new features, to follow game version updates, and to research ways to bypass Tencent's anti-cheat measures, so I realized that I needed more developers," Catfish told me.

The money was too good to stop.

At the time, Catfish said, they charged between $10 and $15 for a monthly subscription to the cheat. Cheats like the ones Catfish made are typically sold as subscriptions because they include support and constant updates as the game makers detect the cheats, forcing developers to deliver updates that keep the cheats operational. Catfish and his colleagues were getting a thousand subscribers per day. That amounted to at least $350,000 a month, according to Catfish.

"This is totally not the norm of the cheat market though," Catfish said. "I think we did it purely because we were the best cheat for the most popular game."

The logo on the CheatNinja.com website as of November of last year. (Image: Internet Archive)

Behind the scenes Catfish was mostly busy working on his PUBG Mobile cheat. And with help from a new developer, a friend of his, he kept fighting Tencent's anti-cheat efforts in what he called a "whack-a-mole game."

At that point Cheat Ninja's cheats were designed to run in a virtual environment, meaning a sort of emulator that runs both the game and the cheat. Crucially, this approach did not require users to root their Android devices. (Rooting refers to the process of modifying an Android phone to get more privileges to tinker with the software and apps on it.) In mid to late 2019, however, Catfish said he realized they needed to change their approach and pivot to requiring rooted devices, in an attempt to avoid detection.

Security researchers at Lookout, who analyzed some of Cheat Ninja's cheats, confirmed to Motherboard that an old version of the app worked both in a virtual environment, or emulator, and on a rooted Android phone.

At the end of 2019, Catfish said, he decided to expand to other games, such as the mobile versions of Call of Duty, and Fortnite, and to expand globally. (Catfish shared an old version of his Call of Duty Mobile cheat, which a person who works on anti-cheat verified was a legitimate cheat.)

With the help of a new sales partner, Cheat Ninja started getting new customers in India, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt, according to Catfish.

Business was booming, and sales got back to where they were before Cheat Ninja started requiring rooted devices, meaning around $400,000 a month, Catfish said. At that point, the cheats were still being distributed by sellers and resellers through a network of websites and private chats and forums. Catfish and his friend developed the cheat, their colleagues would then be tasked with distributing the cheats to the sellers and resellers, and then collect payments.

But then Catfish and his colleagues decided to launch an official website, CheatNinja.com, to showcase all their products.

In 2020, "our business was not exactly smooth sailing," Catfish said. There were more competitors, and PUBG wasn't as popular as it once was. Moreover, Tencent and Chinese police started to really ramp up their efforts against the cheat makers, arresting 10 people accused of being part of the Cheat Ninja organization.

"I know they were onto my organization for a long time," Catfish said. "They had been arresting our resellers in China left and right for over a year."

"I went through months of the chat log line by line making sure I didn't talk about anything I shouldn't talk about"

It would all come crashing down a few months later. On January 12, the Kunshan Police arrested Wang; then, on January 20 they arrested IIIIIIIII.

On January 20, Catfish had no idea about the arrests, he said, but IIIIIIIII's behavior made him realize he was talking to someone else impersonating his colleague. The Kunshan police would later state that its agents used Wang's account to communicate with IIIIIIIII, whom they identified as He.

In fact, Catfish said he spoke to the other team members and one of them said they got a bizarre message from IIIIIIII asking them to click on a link to buy something on Taobao, China's eBay. Then Catfish checked IIIIIIIII's login records on Cheat Ninja's forum, and saw that he had connected with an IP address in Jiangsu, a province near Shanghai. Catfish said he got suspicious, as his colleague always used a proxy. Also, some of their resellers had been arrested in Jiangsu a few months prior.

"So I connected the dots," Catfish said. "I went through months of the chat log line by line making sure I didn't talk about anything I shouldn't talk about."

When he shut Cheat Ninja down, Catfish said they had around 600,000 monthly active users. These numbers, according to video game insiders, are perfectly plausible given that Cheat Ninja operated in the world's largest gaming market.

A screenshot of the official announcement on Cheat Ninja's Telegram channel that it was shutting down because of the arrest of some of its salespeople in China. (Image: Motherboard)

Since Chinese cops and Tencent forced him to shut down Cheat Ninja, Catfish has been laying low. Meanwhile, copycats are keeping the Cheat Ninja brand alive, perhaps hoping to ride the wave now that the official one is gone.

Someone who appears to be a developer from Kazakhstan maintains an Android app branded as Cheat Ninja Sharpshooter, which has more than 100,000 installs and has last been updated in April. The subscription to the cheats cost between $3.99 and $20.99. The app's developer did not respond to a request for comment. Catfish said this app has nothing to do with the original Cheat Ninja.

One of Cheat Ninja's old resellers is marketing cheats through a website with the exact same branding and similar design. The reseller calls their cheats "clones" of the original cheat made by Catfish. The reseller, who goes by Md Samad, said he did not know who the original developers of Cheat Ninja were, a testament to how compartmentalized and layered the organization was—something that is not uncommon for large video game cheating organizations, according to people who track cheaters and cheat developers.

"No one knows their identity. They live in secret," Md Samad said in an online chat.

"We understood the risks of coding cheats that target Chinese games from the very beginning and took very sound anonymity measures," Catfish said. "We knew this was a risky business, and the less we knew about each other's identities the better."

Catfish initially said he wanted to continue making commercial cheats under a different name, as a way to get back to Tencent and the authorities for putting people in jail.

"I want to ruin their games and damage their profits," he said.

But a few days later he seemed to have changed his mind.

"I'm quitting this pay-to-cheat scene. I no longer need to make money through this, and it was too much stress fighting all these anti-cheats, competitors, scammers, crackers, etc. not to mention the cops," Catfish said. "I may still make cheats but only for myself and a few friends."

Most of all, Catfish said he looks forward to playing more video games like Counter Strike: Global Offensive, Valorant, Cyberpunk 2077, Hitman, and Final Fantasy.

"I had been doing commercial game cheats for so long it left little time and mood to actually enjoy the games," Catfish said.

Viola Zhou contributed reporting.

Subscribe to our cybersecurity podcast, CYBER.

Inside The ‘World’s Largest’ Video Game Cheating Empire syndicated from https://triviaqaweb.wordpress.com/feed/

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arplis · 4 years

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Arplis - News: New finds from the Stockholm Furniture Fair 2020

Ive already shared two of my favourite exhibitions from Stockholm Design Week The Sculptors Residence and The Archive so today I have a round-up of interesting product launches from the Stockholm Furniture Fair, which takes place at the same time.

The largest trade show in the Nordic design world, it bringstogether more than 700 brands mostly from Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland, but a few from further afield, too. Its also where many companies choose to unveil their latest pieces, and Ive picked out some of my favourites below. So, make yourself a cuppa, sit back and feast your eyes on these beautiful new designs

Relaunched pieces from Fredericias archives

First up is Danish brand Fredericia, which has long been a favourite of mine. Its focus has always been timeless, long-lasting design and for 2020 it has chosen to relaunch several classic pieces from its archives. One isthe Ditzel lounge chair, created in 1949 by Nanna Ditzel (later responsible for Fredericias iconic Trinidad chair) and her husband Jrgen. It marked a departure from the upright, rigid chairs that were conventional at the time, and its curved shape was intended to give people the freedom to sit in new, more relaxed ways. The updated version is made from PUR foam with a steel frame, wooden legs and a choice of upholstery, and will be available from September.

The other pieces, which are due to go on sale this spring, were all the work ofFredericias first design director, Brge Mogensen. The BM61 and BM62 chairs (the latter with arms, the former without) are simple yet striking, with a solid wooden frame and a choice of cane wicker or linen webbing for the seat and back. The Canvas chair, meanwhile, has a clean-lined oak frame and chunky armrests that echo Mogensens famous Spanish chair, but with canvas rather than leather for the seat and back. It was designed just before his death in 1972 and has never been put into full production before now, but it makes an excellent addition to Fredericias range.

Versatilefurniture and lighting from Carl Hansen & Son

Brge Mogensen was also the man behind two pieces being relaunched by Carl Hansen & Son: the BM0865 daybed (available from May) and the BM0488 table bench (available from September). Both were originally showcased at theCopenhagen Cabinetmakers Guild furniture exhibition in 1958 and formed part of Mogensens building furniture concept, through which he aimed to create enduring designs that could be added to and adapted over time in response to changing needs. The daybed is made up of modular oak seats, soft cushions and cylindrical head and armrests that can be used in all sorts of different combinations, and it suits a wide variety of spaces. The bench is crafted from solid oak with a woven top and is similarly versatile, working well as a seat, a side table, a coffee table or a surface for books and other items.

Also on show on Carl Hansens stand and in some of the below press photos was the new MO series of floor, table, wall and ceiling lamps. The companys first collaboration with Danish designer Mads Odgrd, it consists of simple lacquered-steel shapes that symbolise lights comforting effect on people and is designed to last for decades without dating. It will be on sale from October, with prices starting at 263 / 300 per lamp.

Scandinavian classics and contemporary tables from Warm Nordic

There was yet another relaunch from Warm Nordic a young Danish brand unveiled at the fair in 2018. It was founded with the aim of showcasing long-lost mid-century pieces alongside contemporary designs, and its latest addition is Dwell a family of compact sofas and armchairs first created by architect Hans Olsen in the 1950s. The curved shape and tapered wooden legs form an elegant yet striking silhouette and theres a wide range of upholstery options to choose from, including leather and tactile boucl. Its set to go on sale this spring, with prices ranging from 1,800 to 5,250.

Warm Nordic also used the fair to showcase its new Affinity dining table. The work of architect / design duo Halskov & Dalsgaard, it combines a bevelled linoleum top with slimline metal legs and beautiful cane detailing. It comes in round and elliptical versions, with a choice of three muted colourways, and it too will be available in the spring. Prices start at 2,030.

New additions at Artek

New on Arteks stand were two pieces designed by French duo Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec: the Rope chair and the Tupla wall hook. Both combine simple-looking silhouettes with sophisticated construction and stay true to the Finnish brands ethos of blending art and technology (hence the name Artek). The chair is described as a line drawing translated into space and consists of a steel-tube frame threaded with rope that forms the back and armrests. Its surprisingly comfortable as it bends to the sitters shape, and it comes in black with a black polyester rope or light grey with a natural flax rope. The wall hook, meanwhile, is made from die-cast zinc and intended to add beauty to an everyday object, with elegant loops that are as lyrical as they are functional.

Sculptural minimalism from Kristina Dam

I always look forward to seeing the latest pieces from Copenhagen-based designer Kristina Dam, who describes her aesthetic as sculptural minimalism, and her spring-summer 2020 collection certainly didnt disappoint. Among the new additions on her stand were the understated Capsule glasses and carafe, the angular Pedestal table and a bench to match the existing Curved side table. I also spotted brown- and black-leather editions of the popular Curved pouf, a new full-sized version of the Rotating mirror, and a beautiful porcelain sculpture called Brick, which takes its cue from Ancient Greek architecture and features a single unbroken line.My favourites, though, were the powder-coated steel Bauhaus lounge chair a tribute to the famous Bauhaus art school, available in black or white and suitable for indoor and outdoor use and the painted-glass Dual vases, which come in soft, earthy colours and can be stood on either end, giving you two different designs in one.

Many of the new launches are available now; others are coming soon but you can sign up for alerts via the website.

New colours and options from String Furniture

Swedish stalwart String Furniture used the fair to display several new additions, including a rich brown version of its iconic modular shelving system and the full roll-out of its beige colourway, first launched for some elements last year.There was also a new utilitarian version of its compact Pocket shelf unit featuring perforated metal and a lipped edge.It was created by Swedish duo Anna von Schewen and Bjrn Dahlstrm, who sought to reinterpret the design while retaining the essence of the original, and isideal for kitchens, bathrooms, utility rooms and garages. The holes can be used for hanging hooks, rails and other accessories, and it comes in three colour choices white, taupe and neon orange that were developed in collaboration with stylist Lotta Agaton.

Sustainable wooden furniture from Nikari

Finnish brand Nikari had largely escaped my radar before now, but I was very taken with the way it combines modern design with traditional craftsmanship. I was also impressed by its commitment to sustainability, which extends as far as powering its head office, studio and workshop with renewable energy from the hydro-power plant located next door. Its pared-back wooden pieces encompass creations from the likes of Alvar Aalto, Jasper Morrison and Claesson Koivisto Rune, and are made from responsibly sourced wood finished with natural lacquers. New for 2020 is the understated Storia stool, designed byNikari founder Kari Virtanen, and Jenni Roininenats Basic table, which comes with round or rectangular ends. Both are understated and timeless, and I can see them fitting seamlessly into all sorts of different settings.

All-new accessories from &tradition

As well as displaying its recently launched pieces by Peter Hvidt and Orla Mlgaard Nielsen, &traditionunveiled Collect, a line of elegant and understated home accessories created by Space Copenhagen. Designed to complement the Danish brands range of classic and contemporary furniture and lighting, it includes cushions, throws and bedspreads in earthy hues such as beige, burgundy and terracotta. All are made from soft and cosy natural materials, with linen and merino wool alongside organic cotton. Theres also a series of hand-crafted concrete planters, which can be used indoors and out and come in three different sizes. The full collection should be available very soon, although prices have yet to be confirmed.

The Roadie bench from Massproductions

Last but not least is Sweden-based Massproductions, whose new Roadie outdoor bench was named Best Product in the fair awards. The creation of the brands British co-founder Chris Martin, it was inspired by thesteel crowd control barriers found at rock concerts and is made from strong yet lightweight aluminium. The high back is designed for comfort, and the curved shape means sections can be placed together in a circle to encourage conversation; its also stackable for easy storage. It comes in brushed silver, pale yellow and dark green finishes, and matching seat cushions are available. Prices start at 2,060.

All images courtesy of the brands mentioned above

The post New finds from the Stockholm Furniture Fair 2020 appeared first on These Four Walls.

Arplis - News source https://arplis.com/blogs/news/new-finds-from-the-stockholm-furniture-fair-2020

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